


Eclipse the Heavens

by solopy567



Category: Senki Zesshou Symphogear
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Drama, F/F, Friendship/Love, Politics, Swearing, Uneasy Allies, What-If, XV Spoilers, Yuri
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-06
Updated: 2020-07-11
Packaged: 2021-03-02 03:08:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 42,139
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23518195
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/solopy567/pseuds/solopy567
Summary: A single failed attempt at seeking vengeance brought forth a terrible outcome. One man's ambition, now supported by divine, supreme power threatens to cover the entire world. In order to overcome this peril, SONG must join forces with former enemies. Tachibana Hibiki now finds herself in the company of an unlikely ally, all for the sake of one, unifying goal: to take back the future, by any means necessary.Spoilers for XV.
Relationships: Kohinata Miku/Tachibana Hibiki, Maria Cadenzavna Eve/Kazanari Tsubasa
Comments: 14
Kudos: 70





	1. Ascension

**AN: A brand new tale from yours truly now looms on the horizon!**

**Just like my previous work My Sunshine, this story is a divergence from canon. All those who've seen XV will know when this takes place.**

**Hopefully, this new story will catch your interest! Do tell me what you think!**

**So now without any further ado, enjoy!**

_-!-_

_Ponderation._

_You, who have come into contact with myself, knew. Upon the very moment I had made you the offer, you had already known your answer._

_Such is the incomplete and lacking tongue of humankind. Barbaric and filled with lies, it facilities torment, conflict, and polarization. Split into fragments, it has lost all coherence. When a thousand eyes look upon a masterpiece, it takes a single deviation to render its truth meaningless._

_An interpretation is a fallacy. You, who came to me looking for the path, and I, who offered you it thus, understood._

_Understood that this world has been split apart long enough. Understood that it was time for humanity to come together once more, and then, and only then, can your deepest wishes truly be granted._

_And yet, there are those who'd stand against the righteous path. Filled with ambition and greed, they bury their fangs and seize the chance to reign supreme._

_Oh vessel whose name rings the name of the future, fret not. I shall not be the prisoner of such a man. For him to presume he could shackle me is the height of human hubris._

_For his crime, he shall pay for his transgression._

_By any means necessary._

-!-

The deep, underground cavern was illuminated by the glow of the LEDs, blinking rapidly as they went upon their process unhindered. Normally, only a low hum would accompany their work, basking the great chambers in a foreboding, claustrophobic atmosphere. The dozens of supercomputers were akin to towers, capable of dwarfing even the tallest of men. Any who would lay their eyes upon this place would know that a great secret was kept there, hidden away from any prying eyes as to its nature and intent of use.

But this day, the clanging of feet joined into the silent chorus. The metallic door slid open, revealing the core of the massive network of interconnected super processors.

Of course, upon taking a single look at the main occupant of the room, Tsubasa could only gasp in shock, half filled with restrained guilt.

"Kohinata...?"

She called the name of the friend she'd betrayed weakly. In the very heart of the room, and kept suspended in the air through an unseen force, was the last person who should've ever made their way into this place.

Of course, she was not so foolish as to not know who that person truly was. Kohinata Miku was simply a vessel, a mould that a great being had filled for their own use.

After all, Tsubasa had been there when it happened. She witnessed her emergence from the cocoon with her own eyes, and at the time, the confusion nearly crippled her as well. Within moments of her appearance, the form-fitting black dress, uncharacteristic for someone like Miku, was tossed aside as the supreme being donned their true armor, and unveiled their name to all those present.

Shem-Ha, the one whom man worships as the god of this planet.

The gears began to turn right at that moment.

And that was when Tsubasa had turned her back on them all. She keenly remembered the whisper in her ears, forcing her into action. She recalled as a thousand thoughts ran through her mind, and the image of the little girl impaled at the end of the vampire's hand filled her eyes to the brim. Great anger had bubbled up from within her instantly, and a sense of purpose drove her forward.

She had taken the stunned Shem-Ha and brought her to this place; to Kazanari Fudou's estate, who wished to hold her leash.

"It is not!" he declared triumphantly. "This is the divine power, befitting of our great nation! Soon enough, we'll have control over her through the Direct Feedback System."

The Direct Feedback System... Tsubasa knew what it was, and the only description she could give it was 'disgusting'. An abhorrent piece of technology invented purely for the sake of controlling others, it directly interfered with the parts of the brain that governed thought, emotion, and decision making. An utter violation of human independence, it went against everything she stood for.

And yet, here she was, watching Miku be subjected to its use for the second time. From the little she knew, controlling the god residing in her body directly wasn't possible. As such, they had to take control of her brain, and the god inside would be trapped within its own vessel, unable to do anything as its power was being used for someone else's ambition.

This was her fault, and she knew it. Tsubasa could barely hide the tight knot in her stomach, threatening to tear her apart from the inside as deep-seated shame and regret filled her once again. But she had to force it down, especially in front of this man. He'd notice even a tiny sign of hesitation if she showed it.

It was strange. Every time he spoke, it felt as though his words alone threatened to drag her down deeper. As if chains had suddenly wrapped around her limbs, and she struggled to keep herself afloat. Those whispers occasionally loudened and receded, further exacerbating her exhaustion and confusion.

"But... how did you create a new Symphogear without Dr. Sakurai?" she asked, briefly glancing towards the silver pendant hanging off of Miku's— no, Shem-Ha's neck.

"This is no Symphogear!" he declared. "This is a Faust Robe made from the Shenshoujing!"

Tsubasa stared at him with wide eyes. A Faust Robe?! Derived from a relic like Shenshoujing?! She didn't fully understand how they operated, but it was inconceivable! She didn't even know there was another Shenshoujing in existence to use!

And to force Miku to use it again... what sort of demented irony is this? Once was not enough already? Last time, she was as appalled as the others, yet now... now _she_ was one of the culprits. Now, she was no better than that madman who had forced Miku into it the first time.

She felt so sick she felt she was on the verge of throwing up. Every single cell in her body screamed, protesting at her treachery.

"But the one who had made it is no longer in this world," he added, and she watched with horror as he laughed at the statement. Just from that she understood who was the most likely maker of it. He only laughed like this when things went exactly as he planned.

For all of her hatred of Noble Red, Tsubasa couldn't help but pity them.

And that, somehow, made her feel all the worse.

It was as if her entire reason for being was being torn asunder. She had betrayed both her comrades and her cause, and the worst part is, she had acted without even a single shred of doubt. As if she had no other choice, as if _this_ was the right path.

But how could it be? How could this be the right choice, when just thinking of it made her want to die?

"Tsubasa!" She was shaken out of her stupor by Fudou, who scrutinized her deeply. "Why did you not finish them off?"

"I...that's..."

She wasn't sure what to say to him. She wasn't even sure what to think either.

"Forget it. Remember, you must not waver. A weak heart will crumble eventually. For the sake of our country, you must become a demon," he said, and she bit her lip in frustration. "Your songs cannot save the world. Only through the blood-filled path of a sentinel can you guarantee our future."

Her voice wavered as she replied. "Y-yes sir..."

Fudou let out a huff, and then turned to leave. The massive steel door slid open. "They will come soon. Prepare yourself to face them."

With those final words, he left, and Tsubasa remained alone within the chamber. She stared ahead at Shem-Ha, watching the translucent tubes connected to the system on her back brighten and dim.

Control over her would soon be complete, he said. She didn't know exactly how he knew that, but she wasn't about to question it.

But now she was alone with her. She could, right now, tear her out of her bindings and take her back to SONG. It'd be that easy... maybe. She wasn't sure. She wasn't sure of anything, and that made her all the more anxious.

' _It's all for the sake of our country.'_

" _A weak heart will eventually crumble."_

She felt that tug on her thoughts again. The tug telling her that this was the only right path. Her mind was constantly racing, grappling at reaching the right conclusion. Yet, no matter what she thought, it only took her to the direction that seemed most obvious.

The direction that called to harden her resolve. That she was a sentinel, a protector of the people. And in order to do that...

She had to steel her heart.

That small, brief affirmation was all it took. It was as if she could physically feel that change. The pit in her stomach vanished, and with her brows furrowed, she turned away from Shem-Ha, leaving her and Miku to their fate.

And readied herself to face those she had betrayed.

-!-

"Is everyone ready?" Genjuro asked.

The strike team behind him, consisting of Yatsuhiro, Ogawa, various SONG guards, and Maria, all nodded their heads in acknowledgement.

In response, Yatsuhiro stepped forward. He placed his hand on the panel, and the scanner verified his identity through his eye. With a click, the double doors swung open, letting them through.

"Let's do this."

With their path clear, the strike team rushed forward. "I can unlock any security system I have access to!" Yatsuhiro declared. "Find Kazanari Fudou and any of his accomplices, and arrest them!"

Ogawa and the guards took point, leading the way into the estate at large. They expected to face some stiff resistance, especially from Fudou's entourage. Worst case scenario, they had to protect the others, with their lives if they had to. As he watched them advance, Yatsuhiro clenched his fists.

If there was anything he feared more than anything, it was Tsubasa losing everything she had worked so hard to achieve. He took her out of this hellish household so she wouldn't be weighed down by the Kazanari name like he and Genjuro had. Yet, somehow, Fudou got his hands on her. He didn't know how, but he knew that eventually SONG would find that out.

He couldn't allow his daughter to become a demon like Fudou. He'd never, ever allow it. He'd rather die than let that happen to her.

But he couldn't do anything. He wouldn't be able to simply talk her out of it, so that's why they brought Maria. If there was anyone who could bring Tsubasa back, it would be her. He had personally requested that of her, and she swore that she would.

A Symphogear Adaptor can only truly be defeated by another Symphogear Adaptor. Genjuro would be too busy facing Fudou as planned, while Ogawa and himself would capture the rest of his associates. While they could've brought the rest of the Adaptors to reinforce their ranks, the legality of such an act would land them in deeper trouble than they needed. As the raid involved the possible killing of humans, he could only ask Maria, who was the oldest of them all and the only one of legal age.

He had to pray and hope they would pull through.

But then, an ambush they did not expect was sprung. From within their crystal containers, a small force of Alca-Noise materialized, instantly bearing down on the strike team. Maria immediately reacted by transforming, but she was only a fraction of a second too late, and half of the strike team was disintegrated into atoms by the Noise. Without wasting a breath, she sliced the Noise apart in revenge.

"Leave them to me!" she shouted back.

"Remember Maria-kun, Amalgam is—" Genjuro began, only for her to cut him off.

"Still forbidden, I know. I don't want to end up under house arrest either!"

"My thanks," Yatsuhiro added. "If we break any more rules, it could result in SONG being removed from Japan!"

"I know that!"

He was only saying it just to make sure. Genjuro and the others headed into the house while Maria stayed in the garden to deal with the Alca-Noise.

They weren't at all threatening opponents now, but she did have to wonder how exactly did Fudou get his hands on them.

No, that's a foolish thought, she realized. Of course he would; their very presence here confirmed that he knew they were coming. He laid low for a long time, waiting for the opportune moment to set his plan into motion. There was no going back from it, regardless of the outcome.

And frustratingly enough, he pulled it off almost perfectly. Nearly everything fell into his pace, as in one fell swoop, he grabbed both the divine power _and_ Tsubasa, and rushed to secure his base as quickly as possible.

They hadn't seen it coming. They hadn't even known he was the one pulling the strings behind Noble Red, as well as the one who had ordered the seizure of SONG until this moment.

It was frustrating as all hell, being outwitted like this. It was equally frustrating that they were being held down by legal matters, severely crippling what they were able to do, while Fudou enjoyed acting basically unhindered.

But this is all they had. They had to pull through with what they got.

Killing the Alca-Noise wasn't at all difficult, but they were always annoying to deal with. She had to be careful that they didn't accidentally strike her pendant, as they were still capable of destroying it with their glowing appendages. Thankfully, that never happened again after the first time.

Her serrated blade elongated, slicing through the Alca-Noise like a knife through butter. As soon as it retracted, the screen doors of the house blew open with a powerful gust of wind, and she hurriedly turned to look at the cause.

Genjuro and Fudou stood with their backs to each other, a fist and a sword extended forward respectively. Shocked by the sight, Maria gasped.

"What?!"

Somehow it was both surprising and not surprising. She figured Fudou would be powerful, but she didn't expect him to be able to take on Genjuro himself. Was it another case of funky Kazanari genes?

Before she had time to dwell on the matter more, a bright flash of blue light forced her head to the sky. She only had a second to defend herself as she was bombarded by dozens of blades of light, and she groaned as she fell to the ground.

This wasn't the time to be distracted, she told herself. As the smoke cleared, she rose to her feet, and confronted her attacker. She stood on the roof of the house, her form illuminated by the glow of the moon behind her.

"Oh yeah, isn't that right. Yes, that's right. I'm glad you could make it," she said irritatedly. "I have a whole lot of questions for you, Tsubasa!"

The sword wielder said nothing, a deep frown etched on her face. With her blade in hand, she jumped down to the ground.

"And I'll make sure you answer them, even if I have to force you!"

Taking the initiative, Maria charged, beginning the duel between the two idols.

-!-

"Guh...ah...ah..."

Millaarc plopped down next to the tree, and she breathed heavily as she attempted to compose herself. As much as she hated to admit it, being a vampire did have its perks, especially when it comes to endurance. Of the three of them, only she was able to move even after being deprived of the special blood they needed.

However, that made watching her two companions suffer through excruciating pain all the harder.

"I...have to do something... I need... to..."

Just thinking was difficult. Every part of her body was burning, as if her blood was being boiled inside her veins. Every beat of her heart sent deeper shivers through her frame, and she groaned and grimaced as she tried to stop herself from screaming.

Aside from the pain, white hot anger filled her mind. She wanted to vent her fury at something or someone, but even that she couldn't do.

That old bastard tossed them aside the moment he no longer had use for them. He even went out of his way to poison the blood packs he gave them, rendering them incapable of doing anything to retaliate against him. The three of them had originally planned to sneak into his estate and steal the divine power from him, but as they are now, there's no way they'll be able to do so.

Standing was impossible, so how the hell were they supposed to make their way all the way over there?

Being denied their revenge was even more painful than the physical pain. It exacerbated their suffering, and being the only one of the three still awake, Millaarc had to shoulder it all herself.

She felt pitiful. She cursed the Illuminati for putting them in this position. She cursed their desperation for being forced to murder without remorse. She never wanted to do this in the first place, and yet here she was.

Was this some sort of divine retribution for their actions? For taking the lives of others to sustain their own?

Truly, they were monsters.

Millaarc gritted her teeth. She forced those thoughts down, and tried her hardest to rise to her feet. The least she could try was to find more blood packs; even normal ones would help. It may not last them very long, but it could at least ease their pain and bring them to their feet.

She needed to do something, _anything_.

She smiled to herself as she managed to rise to her feet uneasily. They wobbled under her, but she felt somewhat optimistic. Small, consistent steps would take her a long way.

It turned out to be futile.

It truly took exactly one step before she fell to the ground, this time on her face. She hissed as the pain returned tenfold, threatening to swallow her whole. Slowly, the edges of her vision began to darken as she struggled to keep hold of her consciousness.

"I...can't...I...have...to..."

But it was useless. She couldn't move even another inch. She brought her arm forward, her nails digging into the ground as she once again attempted to stand. But she couldn't gather any strength in her grip, and her muscles loosened against her will.

It truly felt like the end was coming.

"Ah...ah..."

From out of nowhere, the sound of crunching leaves entered her faltering hearing. She struggled to look up as an unknown figure approached from the darkness, stopping short in front of her.

Was it the grim reaper coming to claim her soul? She wouldn't be surprised if it was. Even if it wasn't, and she was just delusional, she wouldn't put it past SONG to have an executioner come to finish them off. His blood-red overcoat and large sword gave off that feeling.

"Hmmm... So this is where you were," he said cooly. "Very well."

That's all she could catch him saying before his voice turned into an unintelligible mumble.

Her heart filled with nothing but sorrow and regret, Millaarc passed out.

-!-

The silver and blue blades clashed wildly in the moonlight, throwing sparks all over the garden. The sound of steel echoed over the estate, each and every blow filled with desperation and frustration. Maria gritted her teeth as she blocked Tsubasa's powerful blows, using the smaller reach of her dagger to step into her guard. But naturally, her partner idol flipped over the swing.

Upon landing, she turned around, and Maria copied her move. Mirroring and reading each other perfectly, they struck simultaneously. Their blades locked, and digging their heels into the ground, they struggled against each other, refusing to give ground to the other. Face to face with the betrayer, Maria bit out her complaints.

"So siding with Kazanari Fudou is what it means to be a sentinel of the people to you?!"

Tsubasa responded harshly. "That's right! That is exactly what the divine power is for!"

With a burst of strength, she pushed Maria back. The idol landed on her feet and withdrew another dagger from her gauntlet. "What a load of bull! You don't even believe that yourself!"

"Yes I do!"

"No, you don't!"

Without wasting a breath, Maria charged in. Tsubasa was forced on the defensive as Maria's blades danced all around her, clashing against her sword repeatedly.

"Remember what it is you've been fighting for!" Maria said, not letting up even a second. "You always said you'd protect people with your own strength, not with some so-called divine power!"

"Of course I know that!"

A small opening in Maria's assault was immediately taken advantage of by Tsubasa. She kicked her in the stomach, forcing her partner back. Enlarging her sword once again, this time she went on the offensive.

"But you already know that it's not enough!" she cried out in between blows. Maria grimaced, feeling the pressure mounting. "I couldn't protect anyone! That is why we need the divine power, to stop tragedies like that from happening again! I will never allow another one of my stages to become a slaughtering ground! In order to protect those weak people, who could not help themselves, a stronger power is required!"

"Weak people?!"

This time it was Maria's turn to counterattack. Blocking a powerful overhead blow, she slid her daggers across Tsubasa's sword, locking her in place. She slashed at her face, forcing her partner idol to move her head back. The daggers missed her by a hair's breadth, but before she could regroup, Maria used the momentum of her spin to quickly twist, and nail Tsubasa in the stomach with a powerful roundhouse kick.

"Guh...!"

"What arrogance!"

Tsubasa steadied herself, holding her stomach for a brief moment. She raised her sword up again to defend herself, but found that Maria did not continue her assault. Her partner simply stood still, sheathing her blades, and staring daggers into her.

"You speak like you're unable to live without having someone to protect," she said. Tsubasa's eyes widened, and she sheathed her own sword in response. She clenched her hands into fists, angered by Maria's words. But that didn't last very long. Distracted by her frustration and shock, she was helpless to respond as Maria stepped forward...

And slapped her across the cheek. The sound resonated in the garden for a long moment as her head whipped to the side, and she stood still, stupefied by the act.

"When the hell did you start protecting yourself over others?!" Maria said. Tsubasa raised a hand to her bruised cheek, and turned her head to look her partner dead in the eye. Maria continued to lay it on her, this time assaulting her verbally. "Every time something happens, you fall back on your so-called sentinel role! Protecting people this, protecting people that! Stop running away already and face what happened like an adult! I was there with you when it happened, and yet you don't see me closing my heart off so I don't have to deal with it! And then you come here and try to justify siding with that bastard, saying it's to 'protect the weak'! That's a load of bull, Tsubasa, and you know it!"

"I...I..."

Maria didn't even let her respond. She stepped forward, grabbing onto Tsubasa's wrist firmly. "Stop pretending what you're doing is right or just. Nothing good ever comes out of siding with selfish bastards like him. Now come on, we're grabbing Miku-san and getting out of here. Let's go home, Tsubasa. All of our friends are waiting for us."

Left speechless, Tsubasa could only dispel her Gear in acknowledgment. Maria smiled, and followed suit, loosening her grip on Tsubasa's arm just a bit.

"Maria, I..."

And then the blow came.

There was no way she could've seen it coming.

Maria only had a fraction of a second to register the shock on Tsubasa's face before what felt like a truck suddenly smashed into her back. She screamed as she was struck, and she was sent flying towards the only tree in the garden. Her back crashed into it, and she grunted in pain as she fell to the ground. Her vision blurred, and she struggled to keep her eyes open.

Tsubasa wasted no time.

"Maria!" she called out, running to her injured partner. She knelt down, her concern mounting with each passing moment.

It didn't take long for the assailant to speak up.

"What do you think you're doing, Tsubasa?" Fudou questioned her harshly. She gritted her teeth and looked at him from the corner of her eye, shocked to see he was unscatched from his fight with Genjuro. Hell, his clothes weren't at all ruffled, and the only thing he was missing was his sword. Considering he was standing before her like so, she understood her uncle had been summarily defeated.

How could he not have been? Fudou was in a league of his own; even she knew it. Out of all the humans living on Earth, he was the absolute strongest. He was over a hundred years old, yet he didn't even look the part.

"Step away from that filthy foreigner and come stand before me, Tsubasa," he continued, uncaring at all to her distress. "If you truly are a sentinel, then you know where your loyalties lie!"

Checking on Maria one last time, Tsubasa then turned around, confronting him directly. "I will not!"

"Fool."

"This path... this isn't what I want!" she cried out against him. "I can't... none of this will ever protect the weak! Turning my back on others for this... I won't put them on a scale! This isn't what it means to be a sentinel, to protect the country! That's why I—!"

"Seal: Activate!"

It happened instantly. Everything she wanted to say got caught in her throat as her vision filled with a myriad of colors. The world around her swirled and twisted, becoming a viscous jelly she felt she was drowning in.

And like the flash of a camera, visions of her memories from her entire life abruptly showed up in her sight. Her eyeballs shook as she watched them rapidly change, and she felt she had stopped breathing. Among them, a piercing gaze with kaleidoscopic eyes burned itself into her mind.

There was no resistance. Panic filled her to the brim, only to be cast aside as the whispers had rapidly evolved into a cacophony of sound that drowned out her thoughts. It almost sounded like music to her ears, but not at the same time.

The cycle repeated for what seemed like an eternity. Trapped in a vortex inside of her own consciousness, she was helpless in its wake.

And when it seemed to reach its end, a final, distant sight appeared before her.

" _Ka...nade..."_

Only to be erased without a trace.

She managed to let out a terrified gasp at the very end, and within her heart, Tsubasa let out a final, silent scream.

And like a light, her mind was switched off.

-!-

In the underground cavern, undisturbed by anybody, the process neared its completion. As the gauges approached their final numbers, the translucent tubes connected to the Direct Feedback System began glowing brightly, overpowering the shine coming from the machines around them.

But from within that blinding light, a single, violet sparkle fought its way to the outside. Squeezing out of the back of the head, it barely managed to escape its prison before the door slammed shut on it for good. It hanged in the air momentarily, as if peering down at its lost vessel. Hexagonal patterns extended and danced down the back and face, before solidifying and disappearing underneath the skin.

Had anyone been around to see the small sparkle emerge, they might have been able to feel its inherent frustration, disappointment, and fury. Deciding there was nothing left for it to do in this place any longer, the violet sparkle dashed upwards, shimmering through the walls and ceiling of the cavern as if they weren't there in the first place.

A short moment later, the chamber drowned in a flash of bright light as the numbers reached their peak.

-!-

The sound of gunfire filled the wooden halls of the estate. Having stubbornly lived in a traditional Japanese home, Fudou did not seem to have planned for a shootout to occur within his abode.

Luckily, for the intruders, it was all too easy to overwhelm the opposition.

As Fudou's guards attempted to hold the line, Ogawa sneaked up behind them. The ninja went completely unheard amidst the gunfire, and with a single strike to the back of their necks, he neutralized a pair of guards. He then swiftly turned on his heel and opened fire, shooting the gun out of the hand of another guard. He was swiftly brought to the ground by a pair of SONG personnel, ending the shootout in a swift and timely manner.

Yatsuhiro stepped out of safety and joined the ninja. "Good work, Shinji-kun," he said with an approving nod. "Now let's clean this up. Let's take who we have here into custody, and then rejoin my brother to arrest Fudou."

Ogawa smiled and nodded. "Yes, sir."

Yatsuhiro had to count themselves lucky for having a man as talented as Ogawa on their side. His skills were invaluable when dealing with such situations, allowing them to avoid unnecessary bloodshed. While they had the all-green to use lethal force should they require it, SONG and their associates always preferred to apprehend their targets rather than kill them.

A living hostage could be fished for information after all, and if necessary, tortured for it too. For Yatsuhiro, who worked both on the legal and illegal sides of the law, it was sometimes the only choice when it came to protecting the populace. Several of the Illuminati members they had captured in London had gone through... _extensive_ questioning at the time, letting loose some closely guarded secrets about Illuminati undergoings. That information had proven useful for clearing out any remaining cells.

And if it came down to it, they'd do so as well on these guards. Although, Yatsuhiro and Ogawa both knew some of them personally, so it shouldn't be too difficult to extract information.

His thoughts were cut short when the sound of a massive crash echoed throughout the estate. The wooden walls rattled from the force, and some of the screen doors separating the rooms were shredded by the violent winds. Yatsuhiro and his entourage held onto the wooden beams to keep their balance as they waited for the winds to settle down.

"What was that?"

He signalled to Ogawa, who followed him to the source of the disturbance. They stepped onto the garden, and paused in shock when they noticed who was there.

"Gen!"

Yatsuhiro called out, running towards his injured younger brother. The garden's once immaculate and carefully tended beauty had been utterly tarnished by the destruction. The ground had been summarily turned into a large crater, spanning nearly the entirety of the garden's area. In the very middle of it, Genjuro lay on his back, his clothes torn and damaged and his body littered with bruises and cuts. In particular, a massive, red bruise on his stomach demonstrated the extent of the damage he had taken.

As soon as Yatsuhiro carefully descended the crater, Genjuro looked up at him, raising his head slightly. "Ugh... Aniki?"

"Gen, are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm... fine," his younger brother said carefully. "He got me good. I didn't come at him with killing intent, and that cost me the fight. I should've known not to underestimate him."

"We'll deal with it," Yatsuhiro said. He called Ogawa over, and the ninja rushed to join his side. Together, the two men helped Genjuro to his feet, and the SONG commander dusted himself off. "For now we need to continue with the operation. What about Maria-kun?"

"She's on the other side of the house with Tsubasa. We should head over there."

"Then let's do so."

Wasting no more time, the three men climbed up the side of the crater and made their way towards the girls. Rather than cut through the house directly, they decided to circle around, with Ogawa taking point and the guards watching their backs. It wasn't a long walk, but it paid to be safe than sorry.

They met no resistance as they made the turn, but were instead met with a different, much more horrifying sight.

"Maria-kun!"

Genjuro's yell served to stir awake the fallen Adaptor. He ran to her side, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Ugh... Commander?" she said, gazing at him weakly. All at once her eyes shot open, and she stared ahead. "Tsubasa! She's—!"

Of course, Genjuro had already seen it. He followed her gaze, and his eyes fell upon his older brother's back, who stood ahead of them closer to the pair at the center of the garden.

Had Genjuro seen Yatsuhiro's expression, he'd have been shocked to see his brother was capable of such at all; but if he did, he wouldn't have blamed him, because what they saw was the one thing they feared the most.

Tsubasa, her eyes blank and unseeing, standing by Fudou's side, whose savage grin sent chills down their spine.

"Tsubasa!" Yatsuhiro called out to his daughter. However, it didn't even seem to register at all in her ears, as she simply looked forward, not responding to any stimuli from the outside. His expression then turned to anger, and he turned his glare to his father instead. "What have you done to her?!"

"I merely reminded her of her true path," Fudou said arrogantly. "Unlike you, my treacherous sons. You have all disappointed me for the last time."

Yatsuhiro's eyes widened. "You old fool! Do you still not understand?! Your methods will only bring ruin to this country, not save it! The path of the sentinel isn't what it was one hundred years ago!"

He didn't expect those words to reach him. His father was a notoriously stubborn man, who had not changed in decades. He only sought a single path, a single solution that he had in mind that meant everything for him. The only thing that changed were his methods, and those have grown crueler by the decade. Yatsuhiro had felt it first hand, and he still resented this man for what he had done.

That man had lived for over a hundred years and seen sights not a single one of them could truly comprehend. That much Yatsuhiro knew, but he was still constantly baffled by his extremes, even as a child.

"It matters little now," Fudou said, utterly dismissing his son's words. He reached his hand inside his hakama, and Ogawa quickly raised his gun in preparation.

Only for the elder to take out a strange looking communicator instead, and his grin grew wider.

"Because supreme power is now in _my_ hands!"

Upon pushing the button, the ground between the groups exploded upwards in a shower of dust and debris. Genjuro ran in front of Maria to shield her, while Yatsuhiro and Ogawa held their arms in front of their faces to avoid being blinded.

As the dust settled down and the debris fell, they registered the new arrival that had violently shown itself.

And they all stared up in confusion and horror.

"Miku...kun?"

Hovering in the air before them, and staring down at them with an even, unreadable expression, was who Genjuro believed to be Miku. However, with recent events and her appearance in mind, he quickly realized that wasn't who he was looking at. The form-fitting black dress, the vambrace on her right arm, and those hollow, red ringed eyes reminded him of the truth of the matter.

"No, Shem-Ha?!"

The custodian in a human's body gave no response. She floated down to the ground, her eyes unblinking and her back to Fudou. Her mere presence sent shivers down their backs.

But what terrified them more were Elfnein's words that echoed in their earpieces.

" _I'm— I'm detecting use of the Direct Feedback System! It's currently online!"_

It took Genjuro exactly one second to process what she meant. The system, which Elfnein had been using for her own recreation, was a controversial tool. It took a lot of convincing from the homunculus to get the permission to use it, as the last time he remembered it, it had twisted Miku's emotions and forced her to fight against her friends. SONG's systems had registered that signature at the time, and could recognize when it was actively being used for such a purpose.

Now, Elfnein was telling him that it's being used again. For its original, nefarious purpose.

And the victim was once again Kohinata Miku, this time having had her body stolen by a custodian, and now having her mind and body controlled by another.

He cursed everything at that moment. His father for causing this mess in the first place, Ver for creating that abomination, and Miku for falling into this trap again. But most of all, he blamed himself for failing to stop each and every one of them.

He didn't know why Shem-Ha was so silent, but at the moment he counted that as a small blessing. He stood more protectively in front of Maria, who was slowly recomposing herself from her injuries. He felt sweat pour down his face as he wracked his brain on what to do.

"Behold, my foolish children," Fudou proclaimed proudly. "The divine power that shall defend our country from all evil is now within my grasp! Completely and utterly under my control, I shall now use it to carve us a new Japan, greater and stronger than any other! The wishes and ambition of the Kazanari, who have built this nation with their blood and lives, shall now be fulfilled!"

What could Genjuro do to turn this situation around? What could he possibly—

"Now, my servant! Kill them all as a demonstration of my power!"

All of their options were immediately exhausted. Just as he had ordered, Shem-Ha began to move. She began to walk forward, raising her right arm to the side. From within the gem imbued into the vambrace, a blade of violet light erupted, humming in the air with visible power to it.

Genjuro moved at the exact moment Shem-Ha dashed towards his brother. He reached him just as Shem-Ha swung in his direction, and the commander, not willing to test the might of the custodian's blade, grabbed her wrist before she could finish her swing.

"...?!"

A girl with a frame as small as Miku's should not have been able to deliver such a powerful blow. As soon as his hand wrapped around her wrist, he felt as though what he was stopping was not a person, but an entire mountain. His feet crushed the ground beneath him as an inconceivable weight suddenly came down on him. He grunted as he actively had to struggle to keep her arm from coming down on him and slicing him in half.

' _What the hell? Is this what the divine power is capable of?!'_

The worst part is, he realized, that this was only a fraction of what she would truly be capable of. He had assumed the custodians were powerful beings, but he didn't expect _this_! And this was while she was under Fudou's control; who knew how much stronger she'd be with her free will intact.

The sorrowful sight before him caused a massive amount of guilt, as heavy as Shem-Ha's strike, to bear down on him. He had underestimated Noble Red and his father, and this was the disastrous result.

' _I will never be able to look Hibiki-kun in the eye again.'_

Yatsuhiro noticed his brother's struggle, but he knew he could not help him in any way. Instead, he hurriedly backed away, giving space to Ogawa to follow up and launch a trio of kunai at the custodian.

However, his assault was for naught as she conjured up a barrier with her free arm that deflected his projectiles to the side. With the barrier still active, she shoved it in Genjuro's direction, pushing him back and releasing his grip on her arm.

"Aniki, get Maria-kun out of here!" Genjuro yelled out to his other brother as he entered a fighting stance. He took it as another small blessing that neither Fudou nor Tsubasa were joining in, as he figured his father was doing this as a test.

Yatsuhiro didn't even bother answering. He immediately ran to the fallen Adaptor and put her arm around his shoulder and his hand on her hip. With a small heave, he lifted her up to her feet. As he began walking away, Maria suddenly spoke up.

"Wait!" she shouted, gazing back towards her idol partner. "We have to rescue Tsubasa!"

"We can't. We've already lost this battle. If we try to stay here, we'll be massacred. We must retreat and regroup while we have the chance," Yatsuhiro said with a shockingly cold tone.

She wasn't having any of it though. "But Papa-san! If we don't help her now, then—!"

"I know that!" he replied angrily. Maria wanted to protest further, but upon seeing the crushed and defeated look in his eyes, she knew that it was not her place to complain. He was hurting far more than she was and yet he was keeping himself together as much as he could.

Instead, she yelled to her partner as she was dragged away. "Tsubasa! If you can hear me, fight it! Don't lose to him! Don't lose everything you've worked so hard to achieve! I'll come back for you, I promise!"

She had hoped for a response, but none came from Tsubasa. The only thing that met her sight was her blank gaze that Maria swore briefly glimmered with kaleidoscopic light. Cursing Fudou one last time, Yatsuhiro, Maria, and their entourage left the estate, defeated but alive.

Only Genjuro and Ogawa remained behind, still busy with holding off Shem-Ha. The custodian raised her arm again, and this time a different magic circle materialized in the air. A moment later, a silver beam of light erupted from the circle in their direction, and the two men hurriedly dodged out of the way as it struck the ground.

They watched in shock as the spot they stood on a second earlier turned silver, and Genjuro looked to his underling with wide eyes. "Ogawa, your coat!"

The ninja acted quickly. Using his lightning speed, he tossed his rapidly transforming coat aside, and the two men saw how it solidified and turned silver just like the ground.

"What the—"

" _Matter transmutation!?"_ they heard Tomosato blurt out over the comm.

" _This is... outer physics! Done in a brute-force way completely unlike alchemy!"_ Elfnein added, the surprise evident in her voice.

Shem-Ha raised her hand again, materializing the same magic circle from before. To the men's luck, however, it faded a moment later for a reason they did not know. Instead, she once again unsheathed her blade and charged at Genjuro.

"Ogawa!"

The ninja moved quickly. Aiming his gun, he fired a bullet into Shem-Ha's shadow. Just before she reached the commander, she was locked in place.

' _ **SHADOW WEAVE'**_

"Good job Ogawa!" Genjuro yelled. "We have to retreat right now!"

"Yes sir!"

The two jumped back to gain distance from the controlled custodian. Ogawa narrowed his eyes in puzzlement as he noticed his bullet quickly being dislodged from the shadow, as if its effect on her was greatly lessened. Before leaving, however, Genjuro left his father a few blunt words.

"Old man, you're dealing with forces you know nothing about. You're definitely going to regret this; I'll make sure of that."

Fudou, however, was unperturbed. "Then come, dog of the UN. I'll make sure to show you your place."

Genjuro grinded his teeth, and together with Ogawa hurriedly made their way out of the estate. A mere second later, Ogawa's bullet flew out of Shem-Ha's shadow, allowing her to continue her rapid charge.

"That's enough."

On Fudou's orders, she ceased her act. She came to a full stop and retracted her blade, standing still like a statue.

"They will be back. Now return to me."

And she did as ordered. She turned around with a single motion, and treaded towards Fudou with light, consistent steps. She came to a stop a short distance before him, not even looking up at him.

"Now kneel."

And so she did. The two minds trapped within the body could do nothing as Shem-Ha went down to one knee, her head downcast. The massive grin on Fudou's face could not become any larger, and he turned towards his granddaughter as well.

"You too Tsubasa, shall kneel."

"Yes..."

She did so. Just like Shem-Ha, Tsubasa went down on one knee before him, putting a hand on the ground as well for the added prostrating.

That was the moment Fudou realized that he had won. He looked down at them both, his superiority over them giving him much room to gloat. It mattered not to him that neither of the two had joined him of their own free will; to him, such a thing was meaningless. All that mattered was that their power was now his, and they would use it for his desires and at his discretion.

"This country shall now rise from the ashes! I will reforge it with my power, and turn it into the greatest nation this world has ever seen! From now on, all will bow! And all those who would stand in the path of my ambition will submit or be crushed! The future of this nation, no, of this world, is now firmly within _my_ hands!"

The two under his thrall had no say in the matter. One, having had her mind tampered with by an enemy, and the other, now shackled through dark technology to his whims, remained eerily silent. There were no regrets nor fear to be had.

Only cold, perfect obedience to the man who now reigned supreme.

And within the ruined estate that he had poured his life into establishing, Kazanari Fudou laughed victoriously.

-!-

Within moments of receiving the call, Hibiki was already on the move. The distance between her father's apartment and SONG HQ was quite large, but she didn't let such a thing bother her. Fujitaka had told her that her presence was required, and that the house arrest she had been under had been summarily revoked to new circumstances.

She had briefly wondered what changed, but she knew that the moment she'd arrive, she'd find out everything. Still, despite herself, she felt something akin to a stone in her stomach, a gut instinct that told her that something had gone terribly wrong. The lack of information was excruciating, and being forced to stay inside under threat of legal action made it all the harder.

It didn't help with the nightmarish memories of what led up to this point. As much as she wanted to forget it, she couldn't.

That terrifying and chilling red-ringed stare in her sunshine's eyes haunted her mind. The cold and deep tone with which she had spoken that arrested her breathing.

Her desperate yet futile plea as she plunged down, with her getting further and further out of her reach.

It made her want to cry just thinking about it. But she couldn't. Not now. Right now, the others needed her. And she knew that with their help, she'll get her back. Her sunshine, whose name rang true with the future she imagined with her.

"I'll take it back no matter what. Miku, wait for me. I'll come and save you."

As she made that vow inside of her own heart, a single violet sparkle followed her through the dark night. Unbeknownst to her, it dashed through the air in her direction, slowly catching up to her sprinting form. Having made its way from the arduous battlefield, it had sought the only other vessel worthy of holding it.

And now, it finally found it.

When Hibiki stopped at a traffic light to allow some late-night drivers to pass, that was when the new presence struck. With one quick move, it shot through the air, aiming for the back of her head. It shimmered for a brief moment before it dove down into her skin and disappeared.

For a moment, Hibiki's vision flashed brightly. She paused, looking left and right, as if trying to figure out where that burst of light had come from. When she couldn't find the source, she scratched her head inquisitively, then shook it off as unimportant. As soon as the stoplight changed to green, she broke into a sprint again, resuming her trek.

A single, lonely voice echoed in the night. Going completely unheard by the girl and the world at large, its anger and promise went unnoticed. It only had itself for company, and that was all it needed.

" _Fury. You impudent fool, who believes he can steal the future from me, will pay dearly for this crime . I am Shem-Ha, and I shall take back the future by any means necessary; and all those who'd dare try and shackle me will soon realize the folly of defying the one whom man worship as the god of this planet!"_


	2. The Mysterious Stranger

Tik. Tik. Tik. Tik. Tik. Tik. Tik.

The endless repetition was the only sound that entered Elsa's ears as she slowly opened her eyes. Her body felt heavy, as if she'd been hit by a truck. Trying her hardest to focus through her blurry vision, the first thing that caught her sight was a concrete ceiling that she did not recognize. Her ears perked in alarm, and her wolf-like instincts forced her to sit up to survey her surroundings for danger. However, she was instead immediately assaulted by a sharp pain that resonated through her body, and she groaned as she grabbed her head.

But right after that came the panic. She took in a sharp breath, and her eyes darted to her sides upon catching a whiff of the familiar smell of her closest companions. She blurted out their names in worry.

"Vanessa! Millaarc!"

To her shock and relief, she found her two companions sleeping by her side. They, like her, had their heads rested on a pillow, and their bodies covered by a thin, linen blanket. It was immediately apparent to her that someone had brought them there, but the smell in the air was unfamiliar to her. If there was any upside to having wolf-like senses, it was the ability to constantly keep herself aware of her surroundings, whether it was simply through instincts or olfactory senses.

She let out a relieved sigh, and shot a glance to the corner of the room where her suitcase rested silently. Now wide awake, she took a moment to study the strange room they had found themselves in.

It was a completely barren room, with no decorations or even windows to the outside. Aside from the three inflatable mattresses upon which Vanessa, Millaarc, and herself lay on, only a single, metal door broke the monotony of the white walls. Above her, a currently switched off ceiling lamp hung loosely, and her enhanced vision caught a lone fly circling around it in search of warmth.

' _This is...quite peculiar,'_ she thought to herself.

The last thing she remembered was the excruciating pain engulfing her entire body and puking out blood all over the Chateau's floor. She remembered falling to her knees and hearing Vanessa's rage-filled screaming of Kazanari Fudou's name.

' _Kazanari...Fudou...'_

She felt the anger rising up within her as well. Elsa clenched her fists tightly, having no place to let out her frustrations. The old bastard had poisoned the blood he had given them and left them for dead. He used them until they were no longer useful to him, just like the Illuminati before him. They only existed to serve someone else's purposes.

They only wanted one simple thing, yet why was the world so intent on making them suffer?

She hated it. She hated every minute of it, yet she just knew, in the corner of her mind, that this must be some sort of retribution for everything they had done.

Elsa shook her head. No, she can't allow herself to fall into that train of thought again. She took a deep, pained breath, and pushed the blanket off of herself in one swift motion. Gritting her teeth, she rose to her feet, standing on wobbly legs for a moment before steadying herself. She immediately went to get her suitcase, taking it as a safety measure just in case.

Listlessly, she approached the door. Steeling herself, she sent her hand forward to grasp the handle.

Only to jump back in surprise as it opened from the other side first. Instantly Elsa was on guard, and her two sleeping companions were jolted awake by the shocked whine she gave out.

"Wh-what?!"

By the time the door opened fully, all three of them were already on their feet, ready to meet their opponent. To their confusion, a strange man with a longsword and a red overcoat entered, not even bothering to close the door behind him.

"It seems you're awake," he said, nodding his head once. "Good, that saves us some time."

All three of them stared at him with wide eyes, not at all sure who he was supposed to be. As Elsa and Vanessa ruminated to themselves, it was Millaarc who exclaimed loudly, pointing at the stranger.

"Ah! It's you!"

Her companions looked to her strangely, and then turned to the man. He nodded in response. "Allow me to introduce myself, ladies. My name is Ogawa Souji, Head of the Ogawa family."

They were naturally cautious. As the elder of the three, Vanessa stepped forward with a narrowed gaze. "Ogawa Souji?" She repeated his name, as if tasting it on her tongue. She only felt bitter danger from speaking it. "You're allied with SONG, aren't you?"

"Yes, I am," he said. "Capturing and interrogating enemies of SONG is also part of my duties. Imagine my surprise when I conveniently found you three on the edge of death."

Vanessa carefully considered his words. She could not, however, lift her suspicion about one glaring action. "...Why did you save us?"

It was no secret to the three of them. The fact they weren't dead right now meant that someone, most likely this man, had provided them with the blood they needed to survive.

He remained unperturbed. "For a very simple reason: you have information. Once everything is made clear, I will hand you over to SONG for questioning. Kazanari Fudou has been deemed an enemy of humanity, and as his former collaborators, you will tell us everything you know."

He dropped that surprising revelation completely out of nowhere. The trio stared at him like he had grown a second head. "He what?!" Millaarc blurted out. "Enemy of humanity?! What the heck happened?!"

"He broke the very law he himself had lobbied for," Souji answered matter-of-factly. "And so SONG launched a raid on his estate. That was around two hours ago, and I'm still waiting to hear their results. Naturally, as his former associates, I'm obligated to question you so we can unveil any weaknesses of his you may be aware of."

"Former associates, huh?" Vanessa said again. She let out a derisive chuckle at the title. "We weren't even that, in the end. He used us like pawns and tossed us away when he didn't need us anymore. Right now, the only thing we have on our minds is revenge; that still doesn't mean we'll cooperate with you so easily."

"Revenge, you say? Is that why I found you in the forest by the estate? What were you planning to achieve?" he asked.

Elsa stepped forward to answer. "We wanted to take the divine power from him. He promised us that he'd use it to make us human again, but instead he betrayed us and left us for dead. We thought we could get back at him by taking it from him under his nose, but..."

"You failed because your strength ran out before you could make it there," Souji finished for her. "Then we indeed share a common interest."

"Maybe, but what makes you think we'll just cooperate with you? We could easily make our escape and deal with him without you," Vanessa said, clearly gearing up for a fight. Souji stared at her, nonplussed by her aggressive stance.

He raised an eyebrow. "Easily? I'm afraid there's something you don't quite understand. If you wish to live, then you _will_ cooperate; I am the only one who has the special blood you require, and I am willing to give it to you on the condition you do as SONG says. I cannot guarantee you'll be allowed to go free after what you've done, but at least you'll be alive."

Millaarc immediately raised her voice in protest. "You think we'll trust anyone again with that sort of shady deal?! That old bastard offered us the same thing, and look where that got us! What guarantee do we have that you won't get rid of us when we're no longer useful!?"

The anger was clear on Millaarc's face. Of course, Souji already figured that this was the case. He hadn't been in contact with SONG today, but Noble Red's words, as well as his own instincts made him figure the raid hadn't gone as planned. Regardless, his eyes did not move as he stared back at them.

"Do you think you have any other choice?" he asked, causing Millaarc to fall silent. "I will remind you that as of this moment, you're our prisoners. Failure to comply will result in punishment. I'm offering a choice to make up for your mistakes."

"That makes you lot no better than him!" Millaarc yelled furiously. "There's no way we can trust you!"

Ignoring the vampire's outburst, he reached into the pocket of his overcoat, withdrawing what they realized was a blood pack. Elsa narrowed her eyes, studying it closely, before letting out a gasp as her eyes fell upon the label. "That's—!"

"You have two options: Redemption," he said, gesturing towards the blood packet. "Or atonement."

He emphasized it by clicking his sword against the floor. He didn't need to push it any further, as the message came across very clearly to Noble Red. For a moment, Vanessa considered the option of breaking through him by force, but then she remembered who exactly this man was.

A member of the Ogawa clan. A family of expert ninjas known for never failing a mission, their reputation extended deep into the criminal underworld, alongside their sponsors, the Kazanari. But from what she knew, the Ogawa clan's loyalty didn't lie with the main house. They assisted the many sons of Fudou almost exclusively, so maybe...

"Very well."

"Vanessa?!" Millaarc and Elsa yelled, shocked at their leader's acceptance.

She gestured to them to be quiet, and continued. "Fine, we'll work with you... but under one condition."

Souji raised an eyebrow. "Hoh? Enlighten me."

-!-

The night was colder than Hibiki had expected. Perhaps it was just because she wasn't dressed warm enough, or perhaps something had truly changed in the climate while she was under house arrest.

Or perhaps it was the anxiety, which had left her feeling as if a hole had been opened inside her. From the moment she made that promise to herself, Miku's face had not left her mind for even a second. Her hollow, red-ringed stare had etched itself into her brain, causing it to grow bigger the more she saw it.

It was a cruel cycle.

She bit her lip as she neared the edge of the harbor, finally feeling the exhaustion settling in. She had sprinted the whole way from her dad's house, and while that was no small feat, even she had limits to her endurance. She eased herself into a slower pace to catch her breath. The frigid air briefly caused her chest to tighten. As she approached the submarine, she noticed the lowered drawbridge and the lights shining from the entrance.

It looked exactly the same as she remembered it, yet why did it fill her with such a sense of overwhelming dread?

She made her way up the drawbridge and into the submarine. Without wasting another second, she went in the direction of the bridge. She passed through the familiar steel corridors, caring little for the rest of the scenery around her. Yet, for some reason, she felt as though they were slowly closing in on her. Instinctively, she picked up her pace again, as if attempting to outrun an impossibility.

She passed by the rest area where a woman with long white hair sat. It was as empty as always, and Hibiki blinked as she noticed something seemed off. Deciding to pay it no heed, she continued her trek, and she felt as though the hallways had extended dramatically during her time away.

Maybe she was just walking slower than she thought?

After what felt like an eternity, she finally made her way to the bridge. The door slid open, and she ran inside, quickly taking note of the people gathered within.

The first thing she noticed was that all of her fellow Adaptors sans Tsubasa were present. Chris, Shirabe, and Kirika sported a look of deep concern on their faces, puzzled at the grim mood. The only exception was Maria, whose expression was a turbulent mix of uncertain emotions. Along with them, Genjuro and the usual staff including Ogawa were present, although the commander seemed ruffled, with dirt still covering parts of his clothes and face. She was surprised to see Tsubasa's father also present, with the man standing by his younger brother, both sharing the same deep frown.

It was Genjuro who acknowledged her entry first. He looked melancholic and serious. "Ah, Hibiki-kun. We've been waiting for you."

Naturally, Hibiki couldn't help but probe for answers. She briefly glanced towards the others, as if expecting them to cut away the tension that permeated the air. "Umm, Master... what happened?"

"There's a lot we need to fill you in on," he said grimly. "Our circumstances have changed greatly."

She didn't like that tone. Every time he spoke like that, she knew something had gone wrong. Genjuro was always such a positive person, and even at the worst of times, kept an air of confidence about him.

But right now... that seemed to have dimmed considerably, and in its place a very authoritative, oppressing aura hung around him.

"We'll begin the debriefing shortly," he announced, leaving her hanging. "We're just waiting for the last few calculations before we can begin."

Hibiki didn't know what that meant. In the meantime, she surveyed the bridge, realizing how deeply buried in work the staff was, including Elfnein. Or was it Carol now? She hadn't gotten all the information about what happened there, but it was reassuring to know that Carol, in some form, came back to help them. Her eyes drifted to Tomosato, Fujitaka, and the various operators on the lower level. To the side, a woman with long white hair stood, staring right at her.

Hibiki blinked. She rubbed her eyes, and when she opened them again, noticed the woman had disappeared.

What was that about?

Alleviating the heavy pressure briefly, Tomosato spoke up. "Commander, we have a call from the Ogawa main house."

"A call from my brother?" the ninja said in confusion. They had expected to speak with him eventually, but not this soon. He looked to the commander, who met his gaze with a nod.

"Put him through."

Tomosato acknowledged the order, and clicked rapidly on her console. The large display at the front of the bridge shimmered briefly, before a separate window showing Souji's pixelated face took the vast majority of the display's surface.

"Good evening, SONG," he said with a cool voice. "I understand the raid had failed."

Blunt and straight to the point, as always with him. He hadn't even been told anything, yet he had seen through their hard looks with but a glance. He was never one to waste time on frivolous talk, despite being somewhat of a politician himself.

Briefly looking back at Hibiki, Genjuro answered. "Unfortunately, it has. Luckily, you're just in time for the debriefing. You'd have heard this later on anyway, but now is a good time as any."

"Should I transmit him the logs, commander?" Tomosato asked.

"Please do," Genjuro affirmed, then looked back to Souji on the screen. "I assume you have some information for us as well?"

"I do, but let's go through the motions as usual."

"Very well. Now that everyone is here, let's review what happened tonight," Genjuro said, gesturing to Tomosato again. She nodded, and with a few taps on her console caused the screen showing Souji's face to move to the side and display photos and graphs of the day's events.

For Hibiki, none of this made a lick of sense. She never cared for dry data like this, and frankly, she felt restless. She had to stop herself from shouting, from demanding to know on the spot what happened to Miku.

It was difficult. It was as if there was a lump in her throat she just couldn't get rid of, and it was driving her crazy.

"At 2200 hours, we launched a raid on the Kazanari estate in Kamakura in order to arrest Kazanari Fudou and his associates for violating the Special Disaster Act. That was the official reason, with the unofficial one being retrieving the divine power and rescuing Kohinata Miku."

So far, nothing Souji didn't already know. Normally he'd have participated in the raid as well, but other obligations forced him to stay behind. He wondered if anything would've changed had he been there.

For all those who did not participate, however, this was new information. Chris and the juniors had only found out it was happening at all when it was already underway, and did not receive answers at all during that time. Hibiki was even more in the dark, as she was under house arrest at the time.

She felt a tingle of relief at the thought that the others at SONG put Miku as such a high priority, but considering she wasn't here, that meant...

' _Miku...'_

"The taskforce consisted of myself, Kazanari Yatsuhiro, Ogawa Shinji, Maria Cadenzavna Eve, and twenty of our personnel. We arrived at the estate at 2300 hours, using my brother's security access to enter the perimeter. Once there, we faced resistance from Fudou's guards, as well as a small force of Alca-Noise, most likely provided to them by his associates in the Illuminati. We lost a few of our men in the initial assault until Maria engaged the Alca-Noise on her own. In the meantime, the rest of us worked on clearing out the rest of the guards and confront Fudou himself. Maria eventually engaged Kazanari Tsubasa in combat while I engaged Fudou himself."

This was new information for those not in the know. Souji nodded his head once, keeping a straight face through the entire explanation. For him, it was strictly business. For the girls not involved, however, it came as a shock.

"Eh?!" Chris exclaimed, turning to Maria. "You fought Senpai?! But why?!"

A bit of Maria's pent up anger slipped through as she answered with a frustrated yell. "To try and bring her back of course!" She bit her lip, her face scrunched in a deep scowl. "We've already said that Tsubasa isn't someone who can bring herself to betray anyone! I had to know what the hell went through her mind, because there was no way she'd turn on us after what happened in the concert! So I tried to get through to her, and I thought I succeeded, but then... that bastard...!"

"I will get to that in a bit, Maria-kun," Genjuro cut in. Forced to hold herself back again, Maria seethed, having nothing to release irritation at. Genjuro glimpsed at her sadly, then turned back to Souji to continue his explanation. "I had unfortunately lost my battle with Fudou as he had overpowered me. Maria-kun had managed to force Tsubasa to stand down, but Fudou used the seal affecting her to bring her over back to his side."

That was something Souji wasn't aware of. "Seal?"

The girls were equally unfamiliar with the term. Of them all, only Kirika immediately looked towards Elfnein, who she remembered had said something similar just earlier in the day.

And just like she thought, Elfnein was the one to answer Souji's question. Pressing a few buttons on her console, a couple of smaller screens displaying encyclopedic information appeared by the man's face. "I have discovered, through observation as well as firsthand experience that Millaarc Cranstoun possesses something called Mystic Eyes."

"Mystic Eyes?" Shirabe asked, tilting her head in wonder. She only barely skimmed through the information on the display, and it didn't give her anything concrete enough to understand. "Is that like..."

"Mystic Eyes of Enchantment, to be exact. As you may be aware, Millaarc's abilities are derived from vampires of legends, in which they are said to possess the power to charm others. When I was captured by Noble Red and brought to the Chateau de Tiffauges, Millaarc used that power on me to force me to bypass the access restrictions for the generator. After that, she tried to..." She paused, shivering for a moment before continuing. "She tried to destroy my mind, but Carol protected me."

"So mind control powers? Is that what she has?" Chris said, summarizing it as easily as she could.

No longer confused by the jargon, the rest of the girls gasped in horror at the revelation. Of them all, Maria was the first to respond to her claims, stomping her foot down fiercely on the metallic floor. The sound rang in the closed bridge, echoing between the occupants. "So that's what caused Tsubasa to act like this! And before we left, I noticed that the look in her eyes was unnatural!"

Elfnein nodded, clasping her hands in concerned contemplation. "Yes. It is a fearsome power, able to tamper with the minds and hearts of others. Of all the possible opportunities Millaarc had, I believe it was during the concert that she had implanted the seal on Tsubasa-san," she said, and then brought up medical charts taken from just a little after the incident. "By taking a look at the scans we had taken following this event, we can see a sharp increase in abnormal brainwave activity."

"And that was also when she started acting really weird all around," Chris said, mulling over the information again. She bit on the edge of her fingernail, nearly breaking it off in the heat of the moment. "So you're telling me she was mind controlled to join his side?! That's... that's disgusting!"

Bad memories that threatened to breach the surface were hurriedly forced down. If there was anything Chris loathed more than anything else, it was when sinless people had their freedom stolen by the evil whims of another. Not being at all aware of that fact somehow made this even more despicable in her eyes.

Her beloved Senpai, whom she respected and admired more than anyone else, was on the receiving end of something similar to what Chris herself had experienced in the past. Just the thought alone made her want to rage uncontrollably.

If she ever got her hands on that old bastard, not even god would be able to save him from her.

"I believe so. Or rather, the seal made her more susceptible to Kazanari Fudou's words, which is why she betrayed us in the first place. It may have been intended to remain a subtle suggestion, but it seems that he has thrown caution to the wind and is now using it to control her completely," Elfnein confirmed, bringing up further data on the display.

Yatsuhiro studied the data carefully. However, it did not answer the most obvious questions. "Do we know how to remove it?"

It was obvious to Genjuro, who knew his brother well. As much as Yatsuhiro tried to keep his professionality intact, it was clear he was having a hard time as much as the rest of them.

Their father had crossed a terrible threshold, and not even their bonds of blood would save him from righteous judgement. As he looked to the girls again, he was disheartened by the murderous glares the two oldest sent to their distant enemy.

Elfnein, however, only had a dismal response to give. "I wish we did. I'll have to investigate it more thoroughly before I can give you a concrete answer."

The sorrowful expression on Yatsuhiro's face was heartbreaking. "I see... Do so as quickly as you can."

"Yes sir."

Genjuro looked to his brother for a short moment in sympathy before turning back to Souji. The debriefing had to continue, and he knew the rest of it was only going to be increasingly dreary. It was hard to remain optimistic in the face of such circumstances. "Following that, Fudou unveiled his secret weapon: the divine power, also known as Shem-Ha, has been placed completely under his control through the use of the Direct Feedback System."

Their responses were as expected.

"WHAT?!" Chris shouted in disbelief. Her eyes immediately darted to Hibiki, and she couldn't bear seeing the horrified expression her friend showed. "YOU CAN'T BE SERIOUS!"

Genjuro had to ignore her frantic yelling so he could finish it up. "Realizing we were outgunned, Ogawa and I engaged Shem-Ha in a brief skirmish before we decided to retreat. That is all for now."

That was the end of the debriefing. While he had a little more left to say, he had now finished retelling the events of the night. As he took a moment to compose himself for the next step, he took a moment to study the silence pervading the others. They were now all up to speed, and their lugubrious expressions brought upon him a paralyzing sense of failure.

But that was nothing compared to what a particular person among them felt.

Hibiki's uneasiness was palpable in the air. She squirmed to herself, and clutched at her chest tightly. Her heart beat frantically against her ribcage, and her hurried question left her lips laced with desperation.

"W-wait, Master! But... but what about Miku?!"

Genjuro hadn't been looking forward to hearing this question. From the moment Miku had been kidnapped by Noble Red, he figured that this is something Hibiki would eventually ask him.

" _Why her?"_

He had imagined that scenario several times in his mind since then, and none of the directions it went left him very hopeful. He knew his young student well, and he knew that while she was headstrong during the most important times, she was also fragile when it came to her personal life. The girls had tumultuous backgrounds, and Hibiki was no different. He knew how absolutely crucial Miku was to her happiness after the Zwei Wing concert, and just how much she cherished and loved her.

All eyes turned to him, and that was the moment he remembered what was the hardest part of being a military commander. He was responsible for their physical and mental well-being, and he had done his utmost to make sure their daily lives were not affected by their duties.

However, the latter was the most difficult. Miku was Hibiki's anchor to her normal life, and now that this anchor had been removed, she'd feel like her foundations would crumble.

He mentally prepared himself, and answered resolutely. "Kohinata Miku is... currently serving as the vessel for the reborn Shem-Ha."

A look of utter bewilderment spread across the room.

It dispelled none of Hibiki's concerns. In fact, she felt all the more confused by the almost cold manner by which he had given her the news. "W-what?"

Genjuro gestured to Elfnein. She nodded, and tapped on her console a few times, bringing up a series of images back from the Frontier incident. Among them were images from more recent events, including from when Miku had emerged out of the divine cocoon.

Once again, those hollow red-ringed eyes met her gaze. Even through an image, she felt as though they bore into her. For a brief, eternal moment, Miku's frame was displaced by one of a woman with long white hair. By the time Hibiki blinked, the strange vision had disappeared.

"The reason Miku-san was taken by Noble Red was because she is one of two people in the world who were purified from the Curse of Balal," Elfnein explained. "Back during the Frontier Incident, both you and Miku-san were hit by the purifying light of the Shenshoujing. That light cleansed your bodies of the Curse of Balal, allowing you to serve as vessels for divine power. That is the reason why the divine power went to you instead of Adam back then."

The memory of that incident rose up in their minds. Hibiki in particular remembered the blurriness in her mind at the time, and her puzzlement at the twinkling spheres of light that converged on her. She didn't remember much after that, and despite her curiosity, she never asked about it either. But now, light was being shed on something she thought she had already put out of mind.

"And the same case is with Miku-san. Kazanari Fudou had access to our database, and through that he discovered that she was in the same boat. He had used the takeover of SONG as a front to lure me out, but she was taken along with me at the time. At the Chateau, Noble Red initiated a ritual to have her become the vessel of the divine power that emanated from the vambrace. While there, I tried to save her, but..."

The regret in her voice made the others feel guilty for her. She was a victim, just like them, and the only reason she survived the ordeal was because of Carol. They knew that much, and she knew that much.

In the back of Elfnein's mind, Carol grumbled, not at all keen at hearing her homunculus speak so meekly.

"Something else entirely happened. The divine power wasn't absorbed by Miku-san. Rather, Miku-san was absorbed into it. I don't know why that happened, but the result was that Shem-Ha was reborn into her body from the vambrace."

"Yes, but that's not where this ends," Genjuro continued for her. "Unfortunately, she appeared wearing a Faust Robe adorned with the Direct Feedback System. You might remember it from the Frontier Incident, when Dr. Ver had used it as well."

Chris grabbed the side of her head in frustration. "So I was right! God fucking damn it, why does she have to be subjected to this thing _twice?!"_

Genjuro sighed heavily. "If only it was as simple as it was last time, because then we'd at least know what to do," he said, glancing at Hibiki again. By this point, she was frozen completely, staring at the floor with her eyes wide. He didn't like seeing her like this, but he needed to share all of the information he could.

"But this is far more severe. Not only has she been possessed by a Custodian, now that very Custodian is under Fudou's complete control. Dr. Ver at least tried to use Miku-kun's existing feelings for it to function, but here it's far more potent. There are no feelings involved here, just pure mental domination that is most likely very hard to break. Even if we had our own Shenshoujing to use, I doubt it'd be enough to both free her from the System and purge the Custodian."

"Then what are you saying?" Kirika said, looking distraught. "We can't save her?"

Genjuro sighed heavily again and crossed his arms. "As of right now, I don't know. Hibiki-kun's god-slaying fist might work here, but the Custodian is still using Miku-kun's body. I suspect the reason Fudou used her in the first place is to have a contingency against just that."

A somber answer, just as they feared. Maria clenched her fists tightly, nearly drawing blood, as an instinctive sense of guilt bubbled up within her. Kirika and Shirabe both shared the sentiment, as they felt their participation in Ver's plans all the way back then was a catalyst for the current situation.

Oh, how hindsight was truly 20/20.

"...Then..."

The others turned their heads towards Hibiki, who mumbled that one word to herself. The anguished expression on her face immediately raised red flags in their minds.

"Then... Miku is... Miku is..."

Her breathing ceased. The very thought grasped her heart and refused to let go. The thumping in her ribcage intensified, and her mind replayed a vision in her eyes that tore her asunder.

" _Hibiki, you need to wake up already!"_

Beat. Beat. Beat. Beat.

Her body flared up with heat, and cold sweat dribbled down her face. Her pupils shrank, seeing nothing except the memories.

"Miku is... gone? She won't... I won't... I won't... be able to... see her... ever again?"

And what, she was now convinced, was lost forever.

Beat. Beat. Beat. Beat. Beat. Beat. Beat. Beat. Beat. Beat. Beat. Beat.

Her hands shot up to her hair, and she held it so tightly it threatened to tear. Her feet lost their strength, and she wobbled as nothing but heartache filled her to the brim. It was sadness beyond anything she thought she was capable of feeling.

The dread, the grimness, everything at once. The sweet and bitter memories, and all the things left unsaid. Regrets that extended beyond what the eye could see, and the terrible dreams that haunted her nights since the day Miku first disappeared.

It was nothing like the first time. Everything was amplified far beyond what her fragile heart could withstand.

" _Hibiki, what would you like to eat?"_

"A-a-ah... Miku is... Miku... is...!"

Everything else that left her lips came out as a sorrowful moan she couldn't contain.

"No... nononononononono... please no... M-Miku...!"

Chris recognized the warning signs from a mile away. While the others remained stunned at the breakdown Hibiki was having in front of them, she was the one to make the first move. She dashed towards Hibiki, catching her just before she fell to her knees. She quickly grabbed onto her arms, keeping her up so she wouldn't smash her head against the floor.

Chris wasn't the most athletic of the group, but she could at least do this much. Slowly, she lowered Hibiki down to the ground, forcing her to lean against the bridge's cold steel wall. With Hibiki no longer in danger of hurting herself, Chris kneeled down to her eye level and cupped her friend's head in her hands.

"Look at me," she said as calmly as she could. "Look at me."

Hibiki, with her rapidly growing despair, couldn't even bring herself to do that. She stared ahead blankly, repeating herself in the pure mania that had overtaken her senses. Her breathing all at once intensified, drawing nearer to hyperventilation. An immense sense of trepidation crashed down on her as the storm in her mind worsened.

"C-Chris-chan... Miku is... Miku—!"

It was unbearable to witness. Chris had never once seen her go through such a horrible episode, and now that she was witnessing it, she couldn't help but believe it was the absolute worst crime anyone could commit against nature. She could see her eyes glisten with tears, and how her complexion quickly paled the more she dwelled on the thought.

"Hibiki, look at me," Chris insisted. "Look at me."

Just hearing her name being uttered from Chris's lips was enough to somewhat break through to her. Almost in a trance, Hibiki's eyes drifted upwards. Their gazes met, and for a moment, she was taken aback by the fierceness in her friend's stare.

"She's not gone," Chris said with all the confidence she could muster. "Don't even let yourself think that she is. It's insanely painful, I know, but you absolutely can't let yourself lose hope now. She's being held hostage, and she needs you now more than ever."

And it _was_ painful. Even though Chris's relationship with Miku wasn't as deep, she was still one of her closest friends. Miku was the person who found her alone in the rain, and selflessly cared and nursed her back to health.

Not once had she ever forgotten that kind act. It was etched into her deeply, and was one of the key components that finally allowed her to remove the shackles Fine had placed on her.

"And you're not alone. We're all here, and we're going to help you get her back. I promise we'll do so no matter what. We'll bring back both her and Senpai, and we'll make that old bastard pay for this. But you can't give up here, alright?"

Chris wasn't sure if what she was saying was having any real effect. She never did something like this, and she was awful at giving advice, but seeing the heartbroken look on Hibiki's face was far too much for her to handle. This girl was at her best when she was smiling, and Chris swore she'd do whatever it takes to make sure that smile remained.

To deprive that girl of her smile was akin to depriving the sun of its light.

She swiftly turned her head towards the others. "We'll absolutely, 100% save them both, won't we?"

It was a feeble attempt at somehow improving the depressing atmosphere that had befallen them. While most of the onlookers remained speechless, Kirika caught her drift quickly. She straightened her back and spoke with boundless enthusiasm.

"Of course we will! We won't ever lose!"

It proved to be somewhat effective. Breaking free of the somberness as well, Shirabe followed up with the largest smile she could muster. "We will. We won't abandon either of them. They're our friends, and we can't let them down."

Her proteges' response filled Maria with steadfast determination. "Yeah, and those responsible for taking them away will pay dearly for this. I won't rest until they're brought to justice, one way or the other."

Her two juniors were momentarily unnerved by her answer, perturbed by her bare-faced bloodlust. Chris's sight passed from her and to the two adult men, and she glared at them, pushing them to say something to save the mood.

Yatsuhiro was the first to oblige, and he adjusted his glasses. The fire in the girl's eyes caught him by surprise, and he made sure to keep that in mind. "Indeed. Fudou's crimes are unforgivable. We'll do what we must to bring him in and rescue his hostages, and if need be, eliminate him for the good of the world."

"I agree," Genjuro added. "Don't worry Hibiki-kun, we'll save them both. Trust us that we will."

Chris gave an approving nod, and turned back to the hysterical Hibiki. "See? Everyone's on the same boat. Nobody thinks she's gone, and everyone believes we can save her. So don't go and think otherwise, okay? We'll get through this, I promise."

The overpowering dread in Hibiki's eyes seemed to ease and fade away, while her breaths gradually stabilized until they returned to normal. She took a deep breath, and all at once, smiled.

"You're right. Yeah, you're right, Chris-chan. I can't lose hope here. Thank you. Everything is fine. Everything is just fine," Hibiki said with what sounded to Chris like genuine sincerity. "Thanks for calling me by my name, by the way. That was really nice; you should do that more."

Chris couldn't help but blush at the comment. However, she quickly brushed it aside, as the speed by which her friend seemed to recompose herself felt unnatural. That switch from near mental breakdown to stable was not something she could deem normal.

But that was nothing new to her. She looked into her eyes again, and she could see that beneath the veil of gratitude, the fractures of her broken heart remained. Her use of that eternal phrase had set that revelation in stone.

' _Damn it.'_

"No problem," Chris said, flicking her twintail aside. She turned towards the adults again, putting her hands on her hips. "So what do we do now?"

Genjuro stroked his beard in thought. "Currently, the estate is surrounded by an impenetrable barrier which we have discovered is composed of divine power. He's most likely using Shem-Ha to safeguard his location while he considers his next move. We could use Hibiki-kun for this, but he most likely has a contingency for that. We'll have to carefully brainstorm our approach." He then turned back to the display showing Souji, realizing they had left him hanging. "Sorry to keep you waiting, Souji-kun. You said you had further information?"

Souji remained silent for a moment, and then let out a huff. "Indeed I do. I can see just how deeply this incident affected you all personally. I'll do all I can from my side as well, if only to alleviate your worries even by a little bit. As for the information I have, well, you'll be surprised to hear this."

"And what is it?"

"I have apprehended Noble Red."

Reactions were as expected: the majority of SONG's members were taken aback by the news, shocked at the coincidence. What were the odds that those three of all people would be in their hands now?

Maria was the first to ask the obvious question. "Really?! How?!"

"Interestingly enough, I found them in the forests surrounding the Kazanari estate," Souji explained. "They were on the verge of death, and seeing as they were wanted criminals, I took it upon myself to bring them in for questioning. Your information regarding the specific blood formula they required proved to be quite useful, commander."

"I'm glad it was," Genjuro said with a nod.

"In any case, it seems they're quite furious at Fudou's betrayal, and as such, they are willing to work with us in order to bring him down," the clan head continued, surveying the reactions from SONG once again. Initially seeing nothing out of the ordinary, he took note of the way Maria clenched her teeth. Even through the electronic display, he could feel the animosity she felt towards the trio.

Well, he supposed they'd deal with that soon enough.

"I assume they attempted to exact revenge on him," Yatsuhiro pondered aloud. "Did they say what was their goal?"

"To take the divine power from him," Souji answered, and the Kazanari father contemplated the information. "They'll fill you in on the rest once I bring them to you."

"That'll be very welcome," Genjuro said. He already had a few plans in mind and how to integrate the three into their force, but he knew that wasn't the underlying obstacle. The girls were the most open-minded people he had ever met, but he knew that even they had their limits.

"This... is probably going to be very difficult," Shirabe said with slight hesitation. She also looked towards Maria for a moment, not at all a fan of the way her brows were scrunched together. "After what they've done, it's going to be hard to trust them."

"Desperate times call for desperate measures," Souji said with a shrug. "And these are looking to be desperate times."

"That is true, and we don't even know what his goal is in all of this," Genjuro said.

"Didn't he say something about protecting the country or something or another?" Chris asked. She had come late to see the footage of the raid, so she hadn't caught everything that went down.

"He did, but he won't be able to do so just sitting at his estate all the time. There's a lot he could do now with the divine power on his side, so we don't even know where to begin."

"We'll need to keep our guard up. We'll have to—"

"Um!"

Souji's musing was cut short by Kirika speaking up and raising her hand. The men paused, and looked to her in puzzlement. Uncaring for their stares, she continued. "Isn't it kind of obvious what he wants to do?"

Shirabe tilted her head at her partner. "What do you mean, Kiri-chan?"

"I mean we've seen this sort of thing happen before, so it's obviously he's going to try and do one thing," Kirika said. "He's going to try to take over the world."

There was a momentary pause as the others processed what she said.

"Why do you think so, Kirika-kun?" Genjuro asked her.

"Well, hasn't he been acting kinda like an evil mastermind? He had a team of goons he betrayed, and he uses people like tools, and he uses things like mind control to get people to do his bidding, and he's big, and scary, and strong, and he speaks like an evil boss too. Now that he got what he wanted, it's obvious he's going to try and make the most out of it."

"Kirika, I don't think—"

"No, she has a point," Yatsuhiro cut into Maria's rebuttal. "I hadn't truly considered it, but knowing him, I wouldn't put it past him. The power hungry constantly seek more power, and his ambitions were always particularly great. Now that he has the divine power, there's nothing truly stopping him from trying."

Souji let out a short chuckle. "What a conundrum we find ourselves in. Very well, then I'll adjust my approach with that in mind. In any case, I'll be bringing Noble Red to you tomorrow. I'll iron out the final details with them here while keeping an eye on them so they keep their end of the bargain. Once they're in your hands, I'm sure you'll give them their due reception."

"Alright. Thank you for all of your help, Souji-kun," Genjuro said earnestly.

"It's part of the job. Now that the stakes have been raised, it looks to me like our usual approach is not going to be as effective."

"That's true. Please do all you can from your end, and I'll keep you updated on how things develop."

"Very well. Then until next time, commander."

With a click, Souji's face vanished from the display, restoring its normal functions and returning the familiar silence to the bridge. Genjuro sighed, and turned to his older brother. "So what do you intend to do now, Aniki?"

"Unfortunately, I can't assist you on the frontlines, so I will head back to my office and do what I can from there," the older brother answered. Adjusting his glasses again, he turned away from the bridge and headed to the door. His younger brother stared at his retreating back, and despite himself, called out to him.

"Aniki."

Yatsuhiro stopped in his tracks and looked back to his brother. Their gazes met, and the silence between them spoke volumes. Not one to leave others hanging, Genjuro said his piece.

"We'll get her back. I promise."

The girls saw how the older brother's eyes widened for a short moment. He then let out a small chuckle, and turned away again. "I know you will."

His gaze drifted to Chris. The girl stared back at him, and just before he could leave, she stopped him as well by speaking up. "Old man," she said with a serious tone. "You're going to be talking to some people, right? To get them to help."

Her question puzzled him, but he answered regardless. "Yes."

Her expression after getting his answer was an unreadable one. She looked as if she had something more to say, but was holding herself back. She briefly looked away, and then turned to him again. "Alright."

He nodded, and looked back to see if anyone else wanted to speak up. Seeing none, he stepped through the open doorway, disappearing from the bridge as it closed behind him.

Chris let out a sigh, releasing some of the tension that had built up within her. Looking towards the still sitting Hibiki, she extended her hand to her. "Here."

"Ah, thanks."

Hibiki took the offered hand and rose to her feet. With the grimness of the debriefing having dissipated, all that was left was a group of very tired Adaptors. Seeing the exhaustion in her comrades, Maria turned to Genjuro. "So what now?"

"Now you get some sleep," he said. "I'll be preparing us for Noble Red's arrival, while also keeping an eye on Fudou's estate. Other than establishing the barrier, he seems to be making no moves at the moment. We should make use of that silence as an opportunity to regroup."

"Wouldn't it be better to just head there right now?" Shirabe asked him.

He shook his head. "We'd just be repeating the failure of the raid. He's still holding the two of them hostage as well; there's no telling what he'd do if we came knocking."

Not the answer she wanted to hear, but she understood why he said it.

"Speaking of which, I'm ordering you all to remain on standby in HQ until further notice," he announced. The girls stared at him with baffled expressions. "You'll be staying here until this incident is resolved. I'm not letting any of you be alone out there."

"But that's..." Kirika stammered. "Can't we at least go back and grab some stuff?"

He furrowed his brows as he pondered her question deeply. He crossed his arms and tapped on his biceps. "Very well. You are to be back here in an hour; I'll be assigning you escorts that will help you out in the process, understood?"

They didn't like that strict tone of voice, but they knew that during the rare times Genjuro used it, it was for their own benefit. The girls' reactions were mixed, but not a single one of them raised her voice in protest.

The seriousness of the situation did not allow for undue selfishness right now. He had only accommodated them so they would not find themselves stressed out over minor inconveniences at the worst times.

With the harsh reality now fully grasped, the girls made their way out of the bridge, accompanied by their stormy thoughts.

-!-

Hibiki had to admit; she hadn't expected Ogawa of all people to be assigned to her. For whatever reason, Genjuro had told the ninja that he'd be the one to take her home. While the others were assigned various guards whose names she regretted she didn't know, she was given the man who was essentially the commander's right hand.

She couldn't stop herself from mulling over it. Was there something going on she wasn't aware of? She didn't know.

But she also knew that overthinking it would only make her jump to the wrong conclusions.

That's right. No overthinking.

Everything was... fine. Everything was just... just...

Just... fine.

She repeated that maddened mantra to herself in her head, stopping herself from falling into a pit of despair. Sitting in the passenger seat next to the ninja, she looked up at him, noticing the calm and collected air about him. His eyes were strictly on the road, and he remained silent as he drove through the nighttime streets.

The city was silent and dark, as if a mystical fog had engulfed it. She remembered that during this time of the night, at least a few of the late-night districts would be up and running; she could see the lights from them all the way from her apartment sometimes.

But today, no light pollution hid the stars from her sight. Was the city's sleep something that Genjuro had put into place? Or was it Yatsuhiro? Maybe it was just a weird coincidence.

Regardless, she couldn't help but think of how beautiful the stars were. Her gaze then drifted to the moon, and while normally she'd find it equally beautiful, she felt a strange sense of irritation instead. As if something about Earth's satellite didn't quite sit right with her.

Especially that giant, damn hole in the middle of—

"Hibiki-san?"

She was pulled from her thoughts by Ogawa's voice. "Ah! Hahahahaha... sorry about that, I kinda dozed off..."

"It's fine," he said with a small smile. "You must be tired."

"Yeah, kinda. You know, after everything today..." She mumbled, but when she realized she was drifting off into bad thoughts territory, she forced herself up again. "But it's fine! Thank you for coming with me."

"Don't mention it."

They lapsed into silence once again. With his eyes back on the road, Hibiki took the opportunity to peek at his face again.

Why was he not saying anything, she wondered. She knew how far back he and Tsubasa went, so she figured that he was feeling her absence just like everyone else.

Not one to let sleeping dogs lie, Hibiki spoke up. "Um, Ogawa-san?"

"Hm?"

"I was thinking... How are you taking all of this? Tsubasa-san being taken and all."

It was most likely an extremely prying question, but she couldn't help herself.

Ogawa lapsed into silence. Keeping his eyes on the road, and took a left, ignoring the traffic signal in his way. Hibiki wasn't sure that what he did just now was legal, but considering the darkness of the city, she doubted anyone would care. Once again within a long stretch of road, he finally decided to entertain her curiosity.

"I'm angry of course," he said solemnly. Hibiki was shocked at the unfamiliar tone with which he spoke. "I'm just as angry as all of you. I've known Tsubasa-san since she was a child after all. I remember the day I was assigned to watch over her like it was yesterday. She's been like a little sister to me, and I've shared in nearly all of her joys and sorrows over the years, both as her guardian and manager. To have that man steal everything she's worked so hard to achieve away from her is nothing short of a travesty."

She saw how his hands tightened around the steering wheel, digging into the leather covering. "But I know that being angry is not going to help anyone, especially not her or Miku-san. That's why I'll follow after the commander, and do whatever I can so that we can do this right. I... I won't rest until we have them back."

His voice wavered at the end, which was something Hibiki never expected to hear from him. Having said his piece, Ogawa changed the subject.

"We've arrived, Hibiki-san."

She blinked, and looked out the window to see the familiar apartment building. Cloaked in darkness as it was, she still recognized the entryway.

"Oh, right," she said. "Then I'll be back soon."

"I'll be waiting for you here. Don't take too long," he reminded her.

She opened the door and exited the car, throwing one last wave in his direction before heading inside.

-!-

"I'm... home..."

Hibiki said those words out of habit. As the door to the apartment opened, she was saddened to see it, just like the rest of the city, covered in darkness. She sighed, and flipped the switch to bask the apartment in light.

She didn't like how that felt. It was as if all the warmth was sucked out, leaving a foreign ambience not unlike the ones she'd feel when saving innocents in third world countries.

It was gloomy, dark, and utterly lacking in hospitality. Of course, she knew it wasn't the apartment's fault. It was all in her head, as recent events had caused a major shift in her head that she didn't like.

Miku was supposed to be here, waiting for her. She was supposed to be here, welcoming her by the door with a sunny smile, offering her dinner and a bath.

But now, she wasn't here

And it was possible she'd never be here again.

For all the times Miku had called her a shining Sun, Hibiki knew the most important part: a sun without sunshine is nothing but a cold, dead star. Utterly lacking in any redeeming qualities, it was a burden to the sky that was destined to peter out and vanish into nothingness.

' _Don't think like this don't think like this don't think like this...'_

She didn't like how easily she fell into these bad habits again. She thought she was over it already, but the very thought that Miku wasn't here to support her left her wondering if she had gotten over it at all.

Tired of brooding over her own thoughts, she headed to her bedroom. She switched on the light, momentarily gazing at the unkempt bed. She shook her head and headed to the closet, retrieving an large, old suitcase that the two of them had since their early Lydian days. She threw it open on the bed, and started the process of packing as many things as she possibly could. All the clothing, hygiene products, and important items she could think of went into the suitcase in a big, disorganized pile. If she had any more time, she'd have tried to fit it all better, but she couldn't be bothered doing so right now.

As she made her rounds, going to and from the bathroom to grab her belongings, she was distracted from her routine by a strange sight at the corner of her eye. She paused, looking into the living room, yet seeing nothing out of place. It had remained exactly the same as when she had entered the apartment.

Yet why did it feel like something was off?

' _Don't think about it.'_

No dallying, right. Shaking her head again, she resumed packing, going over to the bathroom one last time to grab a hair brush. As she passed by the mirror, she looked at herself briefly.

' _I look like a mess.'_

She turned away, and her white hair swished behind her. Shutting off the bathroom's light, she went back to the bedroom to finish up. She had to struggle a bit to close the suitcase, as it had somewhat overflowed from her hasty packing.

It was then that a cold breeze suddenly wafted through the apartment. She shivered slightly, and found herself confused at the feeling. Weren't the balcony doors closed?

She went to the living room, and to her surprise, the blinds were swaying lightly in the wind. She tilted her head, and quickly slid them shut.

Only to see an unfamiliar, white haired figure standing outside.

Instantly panicking, she forced the balcony door open again. In the very moment her sight was obscured by the door's frame, the figure had disappeared, leaving only the darkness of the city to meet her eyes.

She stepped out, looking left and right, but upon seeing no reminder of the stranger, she closed the door again, making sure to lock it tight this time.

"Huh..."

Hibiki looked through the glass door. Due to the light from the living room, her reflection on the glass was particularly visible. She could see herself in her entirety, from her unkempt brown hair, to her ruffled clothes, to that hollow, red-ringed stare.

**To that hollow, red-ringed stare.**

She was startled to her core, jumping back in fright of her own reflection. Her heart beat rapidly in her chest— _badumpbadump—_ and she put a hand on her chest as she calmed herself down. She massaged the bridge of her nose, letting out a tired sigh.

She stepped forward again, and this time, the reflection was what she had expected. Her hair was brown and unkempt. Her clothes were ruffled. Her eyes were the warm, albeit tired amber color.

What the heck was going on?

Deep inside, she felt a tinge of terror. All of a sudden, the apartment felt suffocating. She couldn't breathe as she would've liked. The light humming from the LED lamps was louder than she liked. The clock's ticking was excruciatingly painful, like a wrecking ball smashing into a building.

She had to get out of here.

She dashed to the bedroom. She jumped on top of her suitcase, applying as much force as she could to keep it closed, and forced it shut with all her strength. Not bothering looking back, she shut off all the lights in her wake, as if escaping from an unseen presence hiding in the darkness. She put on her shoes, not even bothering tying up her shoe laces.

With the suitcase in hand, she left the apartment, locking the door behind her. She ran down the stairs, leaping down entire flights recklessly. She didn't even care how much the suitcase rattled, or if anything broke while she did so, because the only thing on her mind right now was _running the fuck away._

Ogawa was waiting outside by the car, watching the entryway carefully. He had briefly glimpsed at the lights turning on in the apartment, and prepared himself when he saw them shut off again.

He did not, however, expect Hibiki to bolt out of the building, her suitcase not even touching the ground.

"Hibiki-san?!" he called out to her.

His voice was a candle in the dark. All at once she stopped in her tracks, and her suitcase's wheels slammed on the ground with a loud thud. She held onto her chest, breathing heavily, trying to calm down her raging heartbeats. Sweat poured down her face, and she stared at the ground as she tried to recompose herself.

"Hibiki-san, are you alright?"

It took her a minute to finally calm down. Rubbing her forehead with her sleeve, she looked up at him with a weak smile.

"Y-yeah, sorry. Everything's... fine. Yeah."

He naturally didn't buy it. He narrowed his eyes at her, and then looked behind her at the building's entryway. The darkness stayed still, and the sliding door remained unmoving.

"Are you sure?" he asked.

"Yeah, yeah. I... just got spooked a little bit. You know, because it's so dark and all. Made me feel like I was in a horror movie, like that one Master gave us a while back. Just kinda... yeah."

"I see... I suppose it's understandable, all things considered," he said. He then circled around her and grabbed hold of the suitcase's handle. "Let me take care of this. You just get in the car, okay?"

"Yeah, thanks."

She did as he said. She reached her hand out to the handle, and she was momentarily taken aback by how much it was shaking. She turned over to her palm, noticing the beads of sweat that gathered upon it.

' _You can't be like this,'_ she told herself. She clenched her fist, and then shook her hands to throw off the sweat. This time, she opened the door and sat down, letting out a sigh as she leaned her head back on the headrest. She heard the trunk open and close behind her, and then slightly tilted her head to the side to watch Ogawa enter the driver's seat.

"Shall we go?" he asked, seeking affirmation.

"Yeah, just go," was her tired answer.

He said nothing else in response. He turned the key in the ignition, and the car roared to life. For some reason, Hibiki found herself appreciating the noise the engine made. It was somehow calming, dispelling the silence that had somehow become overwhelmingly terrifying this night.

She needed to get some rest, pronto.

Without any further delay, the two of them headed back to HQ. The entire time, Hibiki had her head reclined back, watching the darkened scenery pass by. It was as if it was a physical entity, consuming everything in its wake. The first thing that came to mind were car chases in movies, where the protagonist and his team are escaping from a monster, an enemy, or a natural disaster.

What would she call this, then?

The route took them by Flower, the little okonomiyaki shop Miku and her always frequented. Her bottomless appetite tingled a bit, and the desire to enter came up to the surface. However, it was closed, and dark, and the nice lady was not there right now.

And neither was Miku, who she always took there with her. She couldn't remember the last time she had gone there without her. That's how much they went together.

And then the school, and the shopping mall. Every single piece of the city she knew had Miku plastered all over it. Her memories were filled to the brim with her; the only places she did not belong were the various battlefields Hibiki found herself in due to her job.

When had she become so clingy? She didn't even know herself. But as they say, absence makes the heart grow fonder.

She had taken Miku for granted, and now that she was not here, she couldn't handle it.

Turning her face away from the road, a tear rolled down her cheek as they continued their nighttime drive.

-!-

"This should be all of it," Maria said to herself. She brushed her hands together to clean off the dust, and then haphazardly closed the lid. She took a look back at her room again, making sure she had kept it as tidy as possible.

Well, not like that mattered now. She was not going to see it for the foreseeable future.

She lived alone, despite her technically being Shirabe and Kirika's guardian. Her two juniors from FIS lived in a different area, not too far from her own but still far enough as to give them their privacy. She knew that Chris used to come hang out in their place when she was bored, lounging around while the two of them did their homework.

These kinds of sweet moments were most likely going to be rare now.

Maria was one who tended to brood by herself for a while, a remnant of her time as a terrorist. She had racked up an unbelievable amount of guilt and regret, so she was no stranger to it. Just the thought that Tsubasa might find herself in the same boat made her sick to her stomach.

She wasn't used to feeling so much anger all the time, yet she couldn't help herself. Everything that had to do with this incident made her fury flare, and just thinking that Noble Red were going to work with them made her blood boil.

Oh, they were going to have a piece of her mind, that's for sure. Except replacing the mind with fist, perhaps sword, perhaps gun. Maria wasn't sure that she'd be able to hold herself back from breaking Millaarc's face for what she did to Tsubasa. No matter what she'd say, or how she'd try to justify her actions, judgement was going to be delivered with her fist.

Her fist that stood as the exact opposite of Hibiki's right now. Not wielded for justice, but for revenge.

"Fucking damn it."

She kicked the foot of her bed. The mattress jumped slightly from the force, and the suitcase tilted forward just enough for it to fall off the bed and spill all of its contents on the floor.

"Fucking damn it!"

She swore again and swung her arm around. Her fist collided with the closet's door, and the wood creaked in protest to her abuse.

Shirabe and Kirika would definitely worry for her well being right about now. A pair of angels, the two of them are.

She glanced to her nightstand where a framed picture stood by her lamplight. It was a silly thing, a commemorative photo Tsubasa and her took in London. She had forced her partner idol into a western maid uniform, and the disgusted expression on her face was too adorable to pass up. Tsubasa complained about the picture being printed and framed, and Maria always took the opportunity to tease her about it whenever she came over.

Well, not like she did that much. There was a certain distance between them still, one Maria had wanted to close for quite a while. However, tragic events upon tragic events forced her hand, and now she'd never have the chance to so long as Tsubasa remained in Fudou's clutches.

She took a deep breath. No use losing her cool inside of her own apartment. She crouched down, and worked on filling up her suitcase again.

That's right, the time for payback will come soon enough. All she had to do was wait patiently until it fell into her hands.

And god help those who had incurred her wrath.

-!-

...

...

...

...

_ding dong_

The key turned.

The door creaked.

The doorway gave way.

"Miku, I'm home!"

The chipper voice echoed in the house. In response, a pitter patter of feet followed. Turning the corner, the apron-clad girl smiled brightly.

"Welcome home, Hibiki. Do you want dinner or a bath first?"

"Hmm..." Hibiki mulled it over. "I think I'll take a bath first. Today was especially tough. Master was really ruthless this time."

Miku giggled, and the sound made Hibiki's heart soar. So much so, she could physically see hearts around her, popping in and out of existence as she smiled.

God, how she loved to see that every time she came home.

Together, the two entered the living room, and Miku turned towards the kitchen to resume cooking. She took the knife and began chopping her hand. Hibiki tossed her bag on the sofa and immediately headed to the bathroom, closing the door after her.

She quickly undressed, turned on the water, and went in. She leaned her head back and sighed contently, her white hair cascading and floating around her.

She always lost track of time in the bath. When she opened her eyes again, the water had already drained. Huh, neat.

She blinked and stepped out of the bath. She grabbed a towel and wiped herself down, making sure to meticulously dry down every lock of hair. She turned to the mirror and glanced at her own reflection, seeing nothing out of the ordinary.

Upon drying herself off, she put on a fresh pair of clothes that Miku had left for her.

"Aaaand done!" she exclaimed as soon as she opened the bathroom door. "Miku! Is dinner ready?!"

She didn't even wait for an answer before she went into the kitchen again. As soon as she stepped in, she stopped in her tracks, her eyes widening at the bizarre sight.

The faucet was running. The freshly cut ingredients remained unperturbed.

And both the cutting board and the marble countertop were seared through, as if a superheated blade had sliced through them in a single motion. Their two halves sizzled and sparked, yet no flame bloomed to life.

"Eh?"

As soon as she finished her incoherent mumble, the lights in the entire house shut off, like an engine winding down.

All at once she panicked, hurriedly looking around her at the enveloping dark. "Eh?! What?!"

She darted to the living room. "Miku?! Are you here?! Miku!"

But no answer met her call. Carefully making her way around the furniture as her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she dashed to each and every room in the house.

"Miku!"

Yet she couldn't find her. Did she go out? Why didn't she tell her? But the kitchen was still being used, so she couldn't have gone out all of a sudden.

No matter where she looked, she couldn't find her sunshine. With no choices left, she ran to the front door, grabbing the handle tightly. If she wasn't in the house, then she had to be outside.

But when she tried to open the door, it wouldn't budge. No matter how many times she tried to turn the handle, and no matter how hard she pulled, it wouldn't move at all.

"Come on come on come on!" she said as she put as much strength into her hand as possible. She tried to grab the handle with both hands, but it made no difference in the result. "I have to find Miku! Let me out!"

"But Hibiki, I'm right here."

Her voice came from behind her. "Eh?"

Releasing her hold on the door, Hibiki turned around. There, in the middle of the living room, Miku stood still.

"Miku! Oh thank god, is everything alright?!" Hibiki screamed as she ran to her. However, she came to a halt as fast as she had taken off, for in that moment, she noticed something was off.

"Everything is just fine, Hibiki," Miku said in a monotonous, deep tone that Hibiki felt was familiar. She stared forward, and their gazes met, and it was at that moment that a chill went down Hibiki's spine.

The hollow, red-ringed eyes looked at her, rooting her to the spot. The golden vambrace on her right arm sparkled dimly in the dark.

"But I have to go now, and I won't see you again. This is goodbye, Hibiki."

"No, wait!"

She ran forward, desperate to reach her. To take her in her arms and never let her go. But as soon as she threw off her confusion, and closed the distance, it was already too late. Her momentum took her forward, and she phased through Miku, whose body wavered and disappeared into smoke.

Hibiki stopped in her tracks and quickly turned around just in time to see the smoke coalesce, and in Miku's place, a pure white spectre with shining crimson eyes looked back at her.

Horrified by the sight, she ran towards the bedroom. She frantically slammed the door behind her and locked it with the key, taking a few steps back in her heightened vigilance. Her heart beat a mile a minute, and sweat poured down her face as her fight or flight response activated in full force.

But for the spectre, it meant little. It phased through the door as if it did not exist, and Hibiki instinctively took steps back, determined to get as far away as possible from the supernatural being.

" **Exasperation. What a meaningless endeavor this is."**

The echoing voice startled her, and her back met the bedroom's wall. The spectre approached, floating slightly above the ground.

" **But it is done."**

A glimmer from the corner of her eye alerted her to the presence of the full body mirror to her left, attached to the closet door. She slowly turned her head, looking at her own reflection.

Or rather, the reflection of a strange, pale woman with long white hair. The hollow, red-ringed stare met her own gaze.

The reflection's lips moved as it spoke to her.

" **Awaken now, you who seeks the future."**

Her head turned back to the ghost.

And she screamed as it closed the distance.

-!-

She screamed as she woke up.

Shooting up in her bed, it took Hibiki a moment to realize she was no longer in her apartment. While the room was dark, no pale white spectre hung around her. The walls were not the usual concrete white, but rather the dull, metallic gray that always felt somewhat claustrophobic.

It took her exactly a second to remember where she was. Grabbing her head, she took a moment to calm herself down.

"A dream? No, a nightmare..."

How long has it been since she's had one of those? Well, not that long ago, as she recalled. Lately, it seems that Miku was not blessing her dreams, but rather haunting them, reminding her of her failure.

"Ugh..."

She felt a headache coming on, and her vision blurred from sweat, tears, and exhaustion. No longer feeling like sleeping, she threw off her blanket. The bedframe creaked as she stood, and her feet met the cold steel of the submarine's floor. She shivered slightly, and hurried to put on her slippers, desperate to spare her feet the freezing cold.

Groggily, she headed for the door, and she squinted as the bright LED lights met her eyes. She brought an arm up to cover her vision to avoid being blinded so quickly after waking up. With the bathroom as her destination, she began walking in solitude through the submarine's halls. As she trudged forward, she took a moment to get a grasp of herself.

' _That was... a really weird nightmare,'_ she thought to herself. While Miku was nothing new to see, that ghost was definitely new. The strangest thing, however, was the white haired woman she saw in her reflection. She remembered that she had seen her somewhere before, but she wasn't sure where. She also found it odd that she recalled the nightmare so vividly, the voice of the spectre in particular.

' _Maybe I'm just tired,'_ she thought, trying to convince herself that was all there was to it. Being tired seemed to be her default state at the moment, and she felt extremely miserable at the fact.

She needed to clear her head. It was obvious to her she hadn't fully grasped what went down recently.

As soon as she entered the bathroom, she headed for the sink. A small, rectangular mirror hung above it, and just to make sure, she looked at her reflection. To her relief, it looked normal, with no white hair and no red eyes that spooked her out of her skin.

Hibiki took a deep breath, and turned the faucet. The sound of the rushing water calmed her somewhat, and she ran her hands under the stream, appreciating the feeling on her palms. Tilting her head forward, she splashed water on her face. It worked wonders, as she immediately felt more awake after the act. Just for the sake of it, she repeated it several times, uncaring for the fact that much of what she had cupped in her hands fell to the floor instead.

She had stopped counting how many times she had done so, and only stopped after she ran out of air. Putting her hands on the sink's edge, she looked down at the drain, watching the water twist and flow down into its depths.

It took her a minute to settle down. Once she felt properly adjusted, she turned the faucet again, this time stopping the stream. She reached to the side, grabbing a towel and wiped her face, leaning back from the sink.

' _I should go back to sleep.'_

She said that to herself internally, and brought down the towel.

And froze as soon as she looked at her reflection again.

[ _(Play: Track 06 - Tsukihime OST)_ ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=viDXSNJmWZ0&list=PLheMHGwKU3qjfz-j1ystJvvUSplBGH2VK&index=7&t=0s)

" **Undoubtedly."**

The white haired woman with the red-ringed eyes in the mirror said that nonchalantly. Hibiki gasped once more, retreating away from the mirror in fright. The towel flew from her grip, and her back met the steel wall.

" **How aggravating. However, integration has been completed."**

And then the woman stepped forward. Stepping out of the mirror, her body phased through the wall and the sink, walking forward as if there were no barriers impeding her path. Hibiki slid down to the ground, her eyes wide in shock at the sight.

The woman came to a stop right before her, looking down on her with her long, white hair falling around her like a ghost's veil. " **We meet again, god-slayer."**

The stranger calling her that name managed to shake some sliver of reason loose. "W-who are you?" Hibiki asked, her voice quaking.

The woman's features scrunched up in what looked like annoyance. " **Indignation. You have already forgotten? In that case, I shall remind you."**

"E-eh?"

The lights in the bathroom flickered, and the woman's visage seemed to glitch and solidify. It was then that Hibiki's gaze drifted downwards towards the woman's right arm, seeing something familiar glimmer oddly in the corner of her eye.

At that moment, it all fell into place. At the same time Hibiki made the realization, the woman made her declaration.

" **I am Shem-Ha, the one whom man worships as the god of this planet. Remember this name well, god-slayer."**


	3. Howling Soul

For a moment, she wasn't sure what the being before her actually was. In the span of a single second, her thoughts alternated between an angel, a demon, an alien, and a ghost. The woman's pale, two-toned, otherworldly skin was unlike any she had ever seen in her life. Her hair seemed to be a creature of its own; sharp yet silky smooth, extending all the way to the ground, yet it did not drag behind her as she walked. Her outfit was akin to a low-cut dress, yet it seemed to hold itself up through impossible forces. Beautiful beyond comparison, her appearance was a mere front for her true nature.

Whatever she was, Hibiki could tell that this person was not human. It could only be something more, beyond the understanding of mortal man, taking on a shape that made sense to the dwellers of the Earth. Its true form was, perhaps, incomprehensible.

But the moment the being, _the woman_ , uttered her name, everything fell into place. The moment Hibiki heard it, she understood immediately. Every single bit of fear, anxiety, and melancholy that had filled her to the brim since the beginning of the incident were driven out.

And in their place, the smoldering fire of anger that had forever dwindled in her heart showed signs of life.

She rose to her feet, her eyes narrowed at the intruder. "So you're... Shem-Ha? The Custodian?"

The lights in the bathroom flickered momentarily. As the darkness came and went, the woman remained unmoving, meeting Hibiki's gaze with an even, unreadable expression.

"Indeed, I am. The beginning and end of humanity, the origin of words; that is who I am. You'd do well to remember that from now on, god-slayer."

She spoke haughtily, not at all fazed by Hibiki's distrustful glare. She barely stood a head taller than the human, yet Hibiki could not help but feel inadequate before her.

But she was unperturbed, for there was something else far more important than being awed by the being before her.

"So you're the one that..." Hibiki said, unsure as to where to begin. But then, all other thoughts fled her mind as she focused on one particular question she had to ask. "...what did you do to Miku?"

Shem-Ha, despite herself, was surprised, and she showed so by raising a single eyebrow. "Intriguing. However, predictable. In the end, your interest lies in that vessel alone, does it not?"

"That's—!" Hibiki tried to say in protest, but bit down on that thought. "Of course I'd be interested! I want to know what you did to her! Why did you do that?! Why did you steal her body?!"

The hollow, red-ringed eyes narrowed in response. "Steal? What impertinence. I have done nothing of the sort."

"Then explain yourself!"

"I merely granted that girl's wish."

The immediate response caught Hibiki off-guard. "...what?"

As she remained attached to the wall, she kept the Custodian in her vision at all times. The lights flickered, and suddenly, Shem-Ha was nowhere to be seen. Yet, her voice echoed in Hibiki's head, and in her mind's eye, she could see her stare boring into her.

" _I am one who has been sealed for millennia, my existence kept a secret from the children of Man. That girl was the first who had the right to make contact with me, and when she did, I made her an offer."_

"An offer?" Hibiki repeated, not liking where she was heading with this. "And where did you go? Where are you? Why can I still hear you when you aren't here?"

" _An impatient one, you are. I shall provide you with all the answers you seek. After all, the two of us are bound to each other now,"_ Shem-Ha said with a mysterious tone. Hibiki blinked, and suddenly, she reappeared, walking towards the center of the bathroom from the corner of her eye. "For one who claims to know that girl best, you truly are blind and deaf to all circumstances, even your own. An infuriating existence that perpetuates the misunderstanding."

Hibiki didn't understand the vague and cryptic manner with which Shem-Ha spoke. Before she could ask her to clarify what she meant, the Custodian continued.

"That girl had a wish, and I proclaimed I shall grant it for her. In exchange, she'd give me her body, for I do not have a physical form with which to interact with the world. That was the offer I had made, and she acquiesced to it."

Hibiki was at a loss for words. She genuinely could not wrap her head around what Shem-ha was saying. "But why? Why would she do that?! You must've tricked her somehow!"

" _Your insolence knows no bounds,"_ Shem-Ha's voice said. In the blink of an eye, she had once again vanished from Hibiki's sight, and her deep voice echoed in her head once more. " _I have done no such thing. But it is to be expected from one as yourself, who rushes head on without a care in the world. You, who only looks forward, whose eyes only see the road ahead, yet not the pebbles underfoot. You could not even see the secret feelings she held."_

"You're wrong!" Hibiki yelled to empty space. Her eyes darted to and fro, attempting to find the Custodian. "We share everything with each other! There's no way there'd be something she wouldn't tell me!"

"It was precisely because she had feelings she could not convey, that she accepted me even for an instant."

Shem-Ha reappeared, floating above the ground before her with her legs crossed, as if she was sitting on an invisible throne.

"What?" Hibiki murmured in shock. "Miku... Miku did that? But...but—!"

"How ironic. Had you been more perceptive, you would have noticed her cries beyond your pursuit for justice," the Custodian said, crossing her arms. "However, I do not blame you, nor her. Even though you two had the Curse purged from your bodies, you're still bound by its influence. It's precisely because of that that I chose to manifest."

Hibiki blinked again. Shem-Ha vanished once more.

" _And that is what I said to her. With a physical body, I would be able to act against this dreadful curse and liberate humanity so such tragic circumstances never come to pass again,"_ she continued. As she spoke, Hibiki noticed the rising anger in her voice, even when it was in her head. " _However, it had been a set-up. The vessel was outfitted with that nefarious device, and I had not enough time to integrate myself within it to counter its influence. That treacherous despot shackled me when I was too feeble to resist."_

Hibiki cringed from the elevated tone, the fury the Custodian was feeling seeping through to her. "B-but then how are you here?"

She blinked again, and Shem-Ha reappeared, this time upside down with her feet on the ceiling. The bizarre sight was enhanced by the fact that her hair, despite its length, was unaffected by the pull of gravity, as if she had changed the very meaning of that ancient force with just her presence.

But as Hibiki would discover with her next explanation, the truth to that matter was far different from what she had expected.

"Before his domination was completed, I had split off a fragment of myself containing my consciousness. I sought a new vessel, one that I could manipulate into liberating my original," Shem-Ha said. Her expression then changed into an amused smile. "My surprise was immeasurable. To think the other suitable vessel would be you, the one with the closest connection to the first."

Hibiki's eyes widened. "What...what are you saying?!"

She blinked again, and when her eyes opened, she took a startled step back as Shem-Ha seemingly teleported right in front of her. With her height, she breached her personal space, her red-ringed stare locking Hibiki in place.

"You are already aware of the answer," she said. "I am not a ghost, nor a hallucination of your mind. No, I am _inside_ you. The fragment that I had split off from my main body rooted itself within you, and the form you see before you is a projection you see through your own eyes. In summation, _you_ are my vessel now as well. Your senses are now my own."

Hibiki was speechless. Shocked beyond belief at the revelation, she couldn't even articulate what she wanted to say before Shem-Ha beat her to the punch. She blinked again, and the Custodian vanished once more.

" _I can decide whether to appear before you, or to remain a voice in the back of your mind. And yes, the visions of myself that you saw were all real; it was a symptom of my integration process within you. Now that it is complete, I can speak to you directly. Fret not, none other than you is aware of my presence. They will never know I walk among them."_

Shem-Ha phased into existence again in the center of the room, but now spoke with a wistful tone.

"However, it seems that is all I can do. I am now a mere fragment of a fragment, a mere one millionth of my original power. At my current state, I cannot take possession of your body to use as my own."

Shaking off her extended stupor, Hibiki pushed herself off the wall and approached the Custodian. Shem-Ha looked at her with a bored gaze, already knowing what the girl would ask.

"Then what do you plan to do?"

She huffed. "To think one such as I would be reduced to such a state," she said with a quick shake of her head. She looked back to Hibiki and said her piece. "I shall make you an offer as well."

Hibiki was naturally suspicious, and narrowed her eyes. "Are you going to try to take my body too?"

"Exasperation. It truly seems you do not listen," Shem-Ha said with another shake of her head. She then extended her hand forward, as if beckoning Hibiki towards her. "We both share the same desire; to reclaim the vessel that had been stolen from us. You too wish to depose that wretched tyrant, do you not? Then the only path forward is our collaboration."

Hibiki was honestly surprised, and loosened her guard as her eyes widened. "You want... to work together?"

"Indeed. I will assist your endeavors, and you shall assist mine. Simple, is it not?"

It was really that simple, Hibiki understood. However, she wasn't so dumb as to not notice what Shem-Ha's objective was. The Custodian saw it coming from a mile away.

"It _is_ simple, but I'm not that stupid. How do I know you won't trick me?" Hibiki said defiantly. "Miku trusted you, and you turned that trust on her. I'm not going to let you do as you want. I'll save her on my own if I have to."

Her anger was palpable in the air. Despite herself, Shem-Ha was surprised by her resistance. She had expected her to relent much more easily, but it seems she was headstrong even in such a situation.

"Unbelievable. To think you could stand before me like so," the Custodian said. "But you are a fool. Do you truly believe you will succeed so easily?"

"I'll pull something off, just like I always have. No matter what stands in my way, I'll break through it with my fist," Hibiki said confidently, making a show of force by raising her hand and clenching said fist.

" _Such reckless bravery can truly only be called foolishness. Even your god-slaying power will not be enough to turn the tide on your enemy. My power is mighty, and yours is not. You are but a mere human, and that vessel houses divine power beyond what you have seen thus far. That despot is also powerful; he alone wields the strength of a thousand men, the likes of which only heroes of yore have ever reached. Do you truly believe that your miracles can overcome such overwhelming odds?"_

Hibiki clenched her teeth, deflated somewhat by Shem-Ha's cold, hard logic. However, she refused to yield her position. "But even so, I'll do it. I _have_ to do it. Miku is waiting for me, and I have no intention of letting her down!"

Shem-Ha fell silent for a brief moment before reappearing right next to Hibiki, who took a step back in surprise at the sudden move. "If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle."

The strange saying caught Hibiki by surprise. Now knowing she was actively listening, Shem-Ha turned her head to look at her. "A mortal from over two thousand years ago said those words. For a mere human, he was quite ingenious. If you strike while knowing nothing, you will only bring ruin upon yourself and your companions. If you truly wish to emerge victorious, you must heed my words, lest both our wishes become akin to nighttime stars. Fleeting and unreachable."

"What are you saying?"

Shem-Ha huffed again. "In short, you will never defeat that man by your lonesome. No matter how far you attempt to reach, you will fall short of your goal due to your ignorance. You have no grasp on what the divine power is truly capable of; therefore, you require my assistance. Out of all the compatriots that you have gathered, none of them possess the knowledge to foresee the extent to which he will use it. Refuse me, and you will be annihilated. Answer: is your self-righteous pride worth sacrificing your objective for?"

Hibiki bit her lip, looking away from the Custodian. In response, Shem-Ha walked into her view from inside the wall to her right, not allowing her to turn away. She raised her head again, meeting the red-ringed stare once more.

"You do not have a choice. Unless you wish the world to fall into his hands, you will relent."

Hibiki clenched her fists tight, holding back her frustration. She briefly closed her eyes, taking a deep breath, and exhaled as she slowly calmed her irritation down.

"Fine, but on one condition," she started, and Shem-Ha stared at her plainly. "You give Miku back. I'm not going to just stand aside and let you take her body again. You're going to give it back to her, and we'll find something else for you; I don't mind even if you stay with me, as long as you don't touch Miku anymore."

She said it with as much assertiveness as she could muster. Even though she was a human, she no longer held any fear towards the Custodian. All she wanted was one thing, and she refused to relent on that regard.

"Utter vexation. Very well, when the day comes that we reclaim the vessel, I shall do with it as necessary."

"Then we have a deal," Hibiki said. She would've normally shaken her hand, but the Custodian's ethereal nature made it somewhat difficult. "So... what now?"

" _Return to your slumber,"_ Shem-Ha answered. " _You are meeting those three monstrosities anon, do you not? I am curious to see how you handle those who've wronged you so deeply."_

"How exactly am I supposed to sleep now?" Hibiki asked, deciding to ignore the latter statement from her.

Shem-Ha said nothing in response. Hibiki, for a brief moment, wondered exactly what she meant before extreme exhaustion suddenly overwhelmed her. In an instant, she went from wide awake, her mind too frazzled to calm down, to so tired she felt as though she could fall asleep on the spot. She wobbled towards the wall, struggling to keep her eyes open.

"W-wha..." she breathed out. "Did..."

" _I have tinkered with your hypothalamus, the section of your brain that controls your sleep cycle. I cannot and will not have you acting selfishly now that we're collaborating. I may not be capable of possessing your body, but I do have enough power to tamper with your brain; be aware of that from now on, god-slayer."_

Hibiki would've answered if she hadn't felt like merely talking would take the last bits of her energy.

" _Now return to your abode. In the meantime, I shall ponder our course of action."_

Dragging her legs forward, Hibiki left the bathroom in a daze. Her vision blurred from fatigue, and every step she took back to her room felt herculean in effort. Her steps echoed in the steel halls, and the presence of Shem-Ha in the back of her mind felt like a constant throb she couldn't quite get rid of. Like an itchy spot she just couldn't reach that both bothered her and didn't

Was that what Shem-Ha meant by pondering? She had so, so many questions for the Custodian, but didn't have the energy to verbalize them.

The trek back to her room felt like an eternity. As the door opened and she fell on her bed, it didn't take long for her eyes to shut and her mind to be taken into Morpheus's embrace.

And all the while, Shem-Ha remained wide awake, thinking mysterious thoughts known only to herself.

-!-

_The moon's glow illuminated the starless night sky. Awakening within a memory she did not have, she stood by as a spectator to a spectacle she had never witnessed. The location was a far off desert, with deep ravines surrounded by enormous cliffs dotting the landscape in all directions. From her vantage point, floating above the land, it almost looked as if it was the place of a great battle that had scarred the Earth in its aftermath._

_However, she soon discovered that it was not the case._

_It was not that a great battle had occurred in the past._

_It was being joined right before her eyes._

_Two streaks of light, one emerald and the other a vibrant violet clashed mightily in the skies of this desolate wasteland. Each of their blows sent a shower of sparks into the night, and the sheer force behind their melee carved wide gouges into the cliff sides. They crumbled, crashing down like skyscrapers in an earthquake, yet the two combatants remained focused on each other, hellbent on overcoming their opposition._

_The emerald light swung down, and the violet light rapidly moved aside just as an enormous crescent shockwave erupted from the edge of its blade. The spectator watched in awe as it sliced a mountain in half, and the two bisected sides shook and were pulverized._

_The emerald light landed upon one of the cliffs, and the violet light followed suit, settling down on the other side not too far away._

" _It didn't have to be this way, ****!" The emerald light spoke with a deep tone that the spectator identified as male._

_The spectator looked in puzzlement. The man spoke, yet the final part of his sentence went unspoken. Or rather, it was as if the spectator was forbidden from hearing whatever it is he had said._

_As if to reinforce that point, the violet light answered in return. Yet, whatever it said went unheard by the spectator, who could only hear a heavily distorted and mangled voice that left none of its words recognizable._

_Whatever it was the violet light said, it incurred anger within its opponent. The battle aura from the emerald light intensified, and all at once it charged at its foe, clashing mightily once again. The cliff sides shook and crumbled once more from the inhuman power being casually tossed about._

_The spectator was witnessing a battle unlike any they had ever seen or experienced. Power beyond mortal comprehension, that easily rent the earth and cleaved the skies, was wielded by two beings who aimed to take down their enemy._

_Yet, for some reason, what the spectator felt from gazing upon their feud was not fear, or excitement, or unshackled excitement. No, the only thing that they felt was sorrow, as if their heart echoed the emerald light's words._

_It didn't have to be this way, that's what the spectator believed. Why are these two beings, wielding so much power with which they could do so much good, are using it against one another? What had led them to this regrettable result that could leave only one standing?_

_All that would remain for the victor would be solitude, for all those like them had already long left the world for their own interests._

_There was no other path remaining for the two of them. From their vantage point high above the land, the spectator observed two foes, who remained eternally locked in battle within a world that no longer existed._

_-!-_

Hibiki's eyes groggily opened, and she turned over on her side as she slowly regained her focus. As the room was within the very heart of the submarine, it had no windows to the outside from which natural light could bleed through and force her awake. Even though she had slept, she still felt tired, as if her mind was heavier than it normally should've been.

As she found herself drifting off again, a shadow approached her from the corner of the room. In the dark, she could not identify it, and it momentarily left her paralyzed from shock.

"Awaken now, god-slayer," the deep voice said. As Hibiki tried to open her mouth to protest, the grogginess in her mind vanished as fast as it had come. All at once the tiredness fled her, and she found herself wide awake, promptly raising herself to a sitting position.

"Wha... what did you do?" she asked, immediately recognizing the owner of the voice as Shem-Ha. That confirmed to her that the previous night wasn't a dream. Shem-Ha was very real and was inside her own head.

Just the thought of that sent her for a whirl. She had very briefly experienced that with Saint-Germain the first time she had activated Amalgam, but that was a one-time thing that had vanished as quickly as it came.

For a moment, she wondered what it'd have been like had the alchemist been the one to reside in her head. Then she realized that the very fact that her thoughts wandered this way showed just how bad things had gotten.

Since when did her brain become a lounge for the deceased?

"Curious. You truly dwell on such inane topics," the Custodian said. "I have merely done the same as previously. Tinkering with your brain's functions is child's play for one such as I. I will not have you dawdle about uselessly. Now rise."

Hibiki let out an annoyed grunt as she pushed off her blanket. "Please don't make a habit of that," she said to her eccentric companion. "I don't even know what we're supposed to be doing."

"Then meet with your commander so you will know," Shem-Ha said, putting a hand on her hip. Hibiki let out a huff and rose to her feet, during which the Custodian vanished from her vision once again. " _Intriguing. You are quite unlike yourself."_

"How do you know that?" Hibiki asked, then quickly realized that was a pointless thing to say. Shem-Ha had free access to all of her memories, as if they were a free library she could sift through without any interruption.

" _So you finally learn,"_ was her response. " _You truly had depended upon my vessel so deeply. You are unable to find your own foundation. To so quickly fall to such depths is unbecoming of you, god-slayer."_

"Her name is Miku," Hibiki said angrily as she dressed herself in her uniform. "She's not anybody's vessel. Miku is Miku and she's going to stay Miku no matter what you say. I also have a name you know."

" _Those names are irrelevant. Since when have you been under the delusion that I had any intention of fraternizing with you lot?"_

Shem-Ha's utter refusal to lighten up bothered Hibiki to no end. She'd have usually pursued the matter further, but her mind simply wasn't up to the task at the current time. She wanted to settle down and get her bearings on everything first.

As the Custodian fell silent once more, bringing back some serenity to her head, Hibiki headed towards the bridge with a heavy heart.

-!-

The tinkering of machinery in the lab broke the usual, monotonous silence that enveloped it. Working earnestly as always, Elfnein went through the motions of the Symphogear maintenance. Normally she'd sit in silence with her own thoughts to accompany her, but recent events have added a new element that she had truly come to appreciate.

" _You've really come a long way with this, haven't you?"_ Carol asked her in her mind. With her eyes still focused on the Ig-Alima pendant before her, Elfnein answered to the best of her ability.

"It's all thanks to everyone here. I learned a lot about the world because of them."

She said it as sincerely as she could while preoccupied with her work. Momentarily raising her head, she extended her hand towards her alchemy book that was splayed open on the stand before her. She had been using it as a guide for a while, as the knowledge within it was considered lost to the ages.

However, Carol's voice echoed in her head again.

" _I'd be careful with that compound,"_ she said, and Elfnein tilted her head in confusion. Carol sighed. " _You've been pretty reckless with it, but those isotopes are dangerously reactive when they come into contact. Give them time to settle before you add them together; the relic metal isn't so fragile as to break from a short pause."_

"Ah, but the book says—"

" _The book has a lot of mistakes in it. Believe me, I know,"_ Carol continued, letting out a tired puff. As Elfnein shyed softly at the brief admonishment, her soul partner questioned her deeply. " _So how long are you going to pretend that this is your fault?"_

At that, Elfnein stopped working. She looked at her tools sadly, putting them down on the table. "But if I hadn't been led into that trap, then Miku-san wouldn't have—"

" _As noble as that is, that's not something you could've done anything about. The vampire specifically targeted you, and the girl was simply there at the wrong time."_

"Still, I should've seen it coming the moment we knew it was the divine power they were aiming for. If I had only told everyone what I knew, then we would've had better contingency plans in place to protect her," the homunculus protested.

If there was one thing Carol never liked about her creation, it was that she was always so quick to look inward than outwards when it comes to bad people doing bad things. Shifting the blame onto herself may motivate her to do better, but doing _better_ wasn't what they needed right now.

They needed solutions, ones that'd help them resolve this incident as quickly as possible.

" _Perhaps, but then it's possible it'd have happened regardless. And besides, this was what was needed to draw me out,"_ Carol said with a tinge of amusement. She had settled in the back of Elfnein's mind for a while, and had been satisfied with sitting things out, but Millaarc's use of her Mystic Eye forced her to act for the sake of her partner's safety.

She also knew that such contingencies would've meant nothing in the end. Despite being nothing more than a reconstituted bunch of memories, her genius had not faltered even slightly. She had already envisioned all the possible manners by which this incident could've gone, and they all led to the same result.

Shem-Ha's resurrection was inevitable. Whether or not it happened now or later was irrelevant. The biggest question right now was of a different sort:

How well equipped are they to deal with it?

" _This at least gives us a chance to study the vampire's Mystic Eye,"_ she continued. " _It's been a while since I've had the luxury of dealing with those. If we study it thoroughly, we might be able to find a fix for Kazanari Tsubasa."_

"But what about Miku-san? How are we going to save her?" Elfnein inquired.

" _We have both the god-slayer and my alchemy on our side. I've already long finished analyzing the concept of humanity. Should the opportunity arise, I'll be able to classify any other impurities as divine and purge them on the spot. That should at least rid us of the biggest problem."_

"And what about the Direct Feedback System?"

At that, Carol fell silent as she considered her answer. It shocked her that the biggest obstacle in all of this wasn't the various supernatural powers their opponents wielded, but rather, the man made contraption that embodied a great risk.

" _The damn thing is a problem, that's no secret. Because we don't have another Shenshoujing on hand, we'll have to do this the hard way and disable it from the outside. That means infiltrating Kazanari Fudou's base, which unfortunately will prove to be an arduous task. We don't know what he's already done with the divine power aside from establishing that barrier, but even the god-slaying fist is most likely not enough to get us through this. We have to plan this out smartly or we'll be annihilated."_

Elfnein sighed listlessly. "What are we supposed to do..."

" _For now, we bide our time. Until then, keep your wits about; dangers lurk at the darkest corners,"_ Carol said. As ominous and dark as usual from her, which didn't help lift Elfnein's spirits.

However, she then grumbled inwardly, and despite not being able to see her partner, Elfnein imagined that her brows furrowed in thought.

"What's wrong?" she asked her.

After a moment of deliberation, Carol answered carefully. " _Something seemed odd about Tachibana Hibiki to me. I can't quite put my finger on what it is, so make sure to keep an eye on her henceforth."_

"What do you mean?"

" _A dark shadow hangs around her. There's something about her that is unlike the usual."_

A dark shadow... what could she mean by that? Elfnein hadn't personally noticed anything different about Hibiki. Her sadness at Miku being taken was understandable, and it was something they were all experiencing together with her.

Was there something more to it she didn't notice? If Carol said so, then it was worth checking out. She briefly glanced at the Gungnir pendant resting by its comrades.

Hmm... maybe she'll check that one out next. Can't be too careful.

As Carol continued grumbling to herself, Elfnein resumed her work, dedicated to the cause.

And hoped that the meeting with Noble Red would go well.

-!-

Yatsuhiro was not one to lose his cool so easily. He was not one to falter under pressure either; the nature of his work made it critically important to remain cool and calculating at all times. From top government officials to yakuza bosses, he had dealt with all manner of figureheads, from the corrupt to the violent to the sexually abusive. No matter what sort of shady business he had to pull, he had come through every time for the sake of the nation and his family.

He found a calling in it, one that differed from his younger brother. Of course, the Kazanari clan had many children, as Fudou had sired many over the years. He was merely the eighth son, which was a position none would want to have in a family as traditional as their own. Genjuro was an outlier who had rejected the call of politics and went into the secret service, eventually becoming the commander of Section 2, now SONG. The position was previously held by Fudou himself, but the incident resulting in Yukine Chris going missing and Ichaival being lost forced him to resign.

Of course, not that resigning ever meant anything to that old man. His connections in the government and the underworld ran deep, and there was nary a man in those circles who did not know the name Kazanari. A clan nearly as ancient as the country itself, the eternal defenders who maintained the peace and unity of Japan as a whole.

And now, those age-old bonds, as well as Fudou's act of treason came back to bite his sons.

"Mr. Yatsuhiro, surely you understand our position in all of this," the UK Minister of Security said. "This is a disaster of an unprecedented scale. I thought this whole deal with this divine power was done and dealt with, yet you tell us now that your father got hold of it?! Mr. Fudou has always been a menace, actively hindering our diplomatic processes with Japan! How do you intend to fix this?!"

Yatsuhiro, despite all of his experience, found himself at a loss. He keenly remembered his discussion with his father after the Bavarian Illuminati were dealt with; he had shown interest in the divine power from that very moment.

He should have seen this coming, and yet it still caught him by surprise.

"Clearly, this reveals the true color of the famous Kazanari clan. I'm honestly shocked it took them this long to backstab us," the Chinese President sneered.

"This is preposterous! Am you implying this is something that is in Japan's interest?!" Yatsuhiro protested loudly. He had dreaded this conference with various world officials, especially since he had been in active correspondence with all of them. Not many seated members of the UN knew the full extent of what took place, and some of them didn't even know this incident was happening in the first place.

He had to keep a lid on as much information as possible. Still, his former allies now harshly pointed fingers, throwing baseless accusations around to vent their anger.

It's not like he didn't know they had designs on the divine power as well. They wouldn't be leaders if they didn't.

Strangely enough, it was the American President who remained somewhat calm throughout the discussion. Yatsuhiro hadn't expected that of the man, considering what he had pulled last time. "So what do you plan to do, Mr. Yatsuhiro? You of course understand that we require answers in order to plan _our_ next move. Mr. Fudou is not one to simply lay low without scheming something."

He tried his best to give a concrete answer. "We are currently strengthening our force that will directly engage with Fudou in order to deprive him of the divine power and arrest him. To that end, we have apprehended his former associates with the hopes they will cooperate with us and provide us with the relevant information."

"And how do you know that their information will be reliable?"

"Because they're the ones who had directly helped him get hold of it in the first place," he clarified, which shushed some of the more rowdy of the conference members. Quite a few chose to remain silent, opting to let the conversation lead itself and act accordingly. "You already have the data on their identities. The three of them used to be unrelated, but were eventually turned into experiments by the Illuminati and deemed failures to be discarded. Due to their alchemical knowledge, they're bound to know the means to defeat Fudou and his ilk."

To even suggest Tsubasa was any part of that ilk made his skin crawl. However, he deliberately left that out of the report; both for her sake and his own.

"We can't work with such empty promises, Herr Yatsuhiro," the German Chancellor said sternly. "It pains me to say this, but it seems Germany will pull out of this alliance for the foreseeable future."

It took everything in Yatsuhiro's power not to scream at the woman for her declaration. "You'd leave Japan to deal with an international incident alone?! You know what happened last time!"

"It is precisely because of that," she said. "We have our own problems to deal with, Herr Yatsuhiro. This incident is due to your own carelessness."

Once again, it took all he had in him not to slam his hand on the table. They choose _now_ of all times to be outrageous and unreasonable?! Purely by their silence, he already knew that the other members shared her sentiments.

He knew how this politicking went. They try to save their own hides by abandoning others and pretending it was their fault. And what's more, this incident alone could tarnish his standing in the international community.

Not because of anything he said, but because of _what_ he is: a son of Kazanari.

In the span of two days, his name went from evoking trust and professionality to being an outcast. They didn't even need to say that outright.

"You're making a grave mistake," he said ominously.

"I'm sure you'll be able to handle it," the French representative said smugly. "You've already dealt with it the first time, have you not? Just do so again. For a country as proud as yours, I"m sure you'll do all it takes to make things right."

' _This son of a—'_

Of all people, the American President came to his rescue. "I believe we've reached a decision, then. We shall let Japan handle this crisis; with that in mind, I believe this meeting is to be adjourned."

"Then godspeed to you, Mr. Yatsuhiro," the UK representative said. "Don't disappoint us."

And just like that, he left the call. The other leaders and representatives followed his lead, and Yatsuhiro watched as one by one, their faces vanished from his display. At the end of the process, only he and the American President remained.

The two lapsed into silence, and Yatsuhiro rubbed the bridge of his nose in frustration. Seeing his reaction, the president spoke up.

"You've truly found yourself in a bind, Mr. Yatsuhiro," he said, and then sighed. "If only it was that easy to pull off as they claim."

The Kazanari member couldn't help but retort. "Mr. President, need I remind you—"

"I did what I had to do," the president cut him off. "But, then was then, and now is now. Unlike those buffoons, I'll be keeping a close watch on the ongoings. Don't hesitate to give me a call if things prove too difficult."

' _I wouldn't immediately trust the Americans to help without recompense,'_ Yatsuhiro thought to himself. "I'll keep it in mind. I'll keep the council updated as the situation develops."

"You do so," the president said with a nod. Narrowing his eyes, he then spoke with a stern tone. "No matter what, we cannot allow the gods to steal away our future. Ours is a world built by man for man. Not any one person can control it; if that father of yours believes he will meet no resistance, the United States of America would be more than happy to remind him of humanity's tenacity."

As grandiose and arrogant as always. Yatsuhiro subtly rolled his eyes and responded. "I'll keep that in mind."

The president nodded. "Then, until next time, Mr. Yatsuhiro."

And with that, he too left the call. Silence descended upon his work office once more as he remained alone. He let out an exhausted sigh and leaned back in his chair, and the seat creaked as it bent back. He took off his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose again, feeling an annoying headache coming on.

To think negotiations have broken down so quickly. He had expected this out of politicians, but not this blatantly. They were usually more subtle with their selfishness, usually covering it up as coincidental or just a matter of bad luck. The UN members were, in some form, obligated to help their allied members in times of crisis, but recently their support had been negligible.

In short, this wasn't the first time they outright refused to help. This time they just admitted it instead of trying to play him with their words.

But reaching that conclusion wouldn't help him in any manner. What he needed right now was a trump card, something that would turn the tide on the table to his side.

Something, or someone, who can rally them to his cause.

What or who could possibly fit that mould?

He thought to himself, going through a mental list of all the people he knew. They were many, and so he started from the top, going from his more distant acquaintances to some of his closest associates.

It took him quite a while. The clock ticked monotonously in the background, giving rhythm to his brainstorming. He tapped on his table with each repetition, giving each face a second of deliberation before he moved on.

Naturally, the members of SONG were a part of that count. As he went through the list of staff, he finally reached the main force.

And as his mind fell upon a particular person, he paused. His eyes widened slightly as he pondered more deeply, putting all the pieces together.

"I see..." he mumbled to himself. "This could work..."

-!-

As the evening rolled around, the members of SONG made the necessary preparations to welcome their new collaborators. The port where HQ resided came to life, changing from a seldom used parking lot into a base fast on its feet. Personnel went to and fro, readying themselves for their arrival.

It was a necessary procedure after all. Noble Red were wanted criminals, guilty of causing massive amounts of death, and now for assisting a traitor. And as beings possessing supernatural powers, it was only logical that the human members would do all they can to safeguard their comrades.

Some would say it was overkill to mobilize the entirety of HQ's staff like this. However, Genjuro saw this as an inevitability. Tensions ran high as he and the Adaptors stood by the pier in a line along with dozens of bodyguards, all ready with guns in their holsters.

Of course, that was a mere front. They all knew that Noble Red wouldn't be killed by measly firearms, but Genjuro needed to make the impression. He needed Noble Red to know they meant business, and that they weren't about to be let loose so easily. Criminals are criminals no matter what their role is, he recited, and they needed to be reminded of that.

SONG held all the cards, and they had to learn when to fold. Of course, he knew that the girls didn't see things the same way as he did, but that was a different matter entirely.

Sometimes, he had to be the tough military general. That's how he was in the actual military, in the Secret Service, and during his early days as Section 2's commander. Some would say he doesn't fit the part, and he'd be inclined to agree.

Speaking of the girls, he worried for them most of all. He'd been so busy the entire day that he wasn't quite sure what they had been up to while they waited. After he had briefed them on the time when Noble Red would arrive, they had simply dispersed, gone to do their own thing in uncharacteristic silence.

Now was the first time he was seeing them after the morning meeting, and upon looking at them, he didn't quite like what he saw. They seemed pensive, ruminating to themselves about things they didn't share with him.

But of the five, Maria was the one who worried him the most. Usually a level headed person, all he could see on her now was restlessness. Her arms were crossed below her chest, and she was tapping her finger on her arm repeatedly. She stepped with her foot on the ground as well, clearly demonstrating her irritation. What's more, he could feel the anger rolling off of her frame, exacerbated by the occasional grinding of teeth he could distantly hear.

He'll need to keep an eye on her, that he was sure of.

"So, what's the plan now, old man?" Chris asked as she looked at him. Frankly, standing around doing nothing didn't sit well with her, especially considering who was being brought over.

Unfortunately, he didn't give her the answer she expected. "We wait. We're all on standby here, and you five are no different. As the ones who have personally faced Noble Red before, you'll know how they act and how they fight."

"You say that like you need us here for protection," she said with an eyebrow raised. "Aren't you enough?"

"Don't forget the Alca-Noise are always a problem."

"Yeah, but I doubt they'll have any right now," she argued back. Well, not like she had any real say in the matter. If that's what the old man said, then that's what'll be.

Putting a pause to the conversation, she took a moment to also survey her teammates. She had already noticed Maria's restlessness, so that didn't surprise her, nor did the uncharacteristic seriousness Kirika showed on her face. Shirabe was the same as ever, quiet and thoughtful.

Naturally, the one who stood out the most to her was Hibiki, who looked to be lost in thought. The strangest thing was how her eyes seemed to follow something in the air, yet when Chris tried to follow her gaze, she saw nothing in particular. At times, it almost seemed like she wanted to speak, but held herself back and just kept her silence.

Chris watched her like a hawk, ready to pounce at any moment. She was determined to not leave Hibiki alone anymore than necessary.

Hibiki, however, was ignorant of the worries plaguing her friends at the moment. Her attention was split between focusing on waiting and the ghostly Custodian floating in the air, surveying the area.

" _A fascinating prospect. Former enemies joining forces against a greater enemy; a common strategy, yet effective. However, would they truly lend you their assistance so readily?"_ Shem-Ha mused in her head.

" _They said they'll help, so we'll accept it,"_ Hibiki said in return, this time thinking her answer rather than verbalizing it. It hadn't taken her long to realize that speaking aloud to a person nobody else could see would earn her a fair amount of confused stares and quite a few worried ones. As such, the solution was simple; just think what she wanted to say instead. With Shem-Ha able to read her thoughts, it was simple enough.

The Custodian, at the time, was shocked that she had come up with that on her own. Hibiki didn't appreciate being treated like an idiot.

" _Foolish optimism. They will have their own demands for this exchange. You're a fool if you believe they choose to help out of the goodness of their hearts."_

Hibiki chose not to entertain her any further. Normally she'd shrug it off, but something about Shem-Ha's tone felt extremely condescending, which left a bad taste in her mouth. The two of them fell silent, focusing on the caravan approaching in the distance.

The harbor's gate opened, and an entourage of security vehicles entered first. In the middle, a large armored truck followed, and behind it another line of wards was on their tail.

To Hibiki, it almost looked like the security detail of an important person, like some company head or a president. However, she knew it wasn't the case now. It didn't take her long to understand that the armored truck contained their three new accomplices.

Before she could even begin thinking about it, Shem-Ha vocalized her thoughts first. " _Hoh, so you think such measures are excessive?"_

Hibiki grimaced. " _Of course they are. That's no way to treat people who're going to help us."_

" _Astonishment. To think that such reckless behavior has not betrayed you yet,"_ Shem-Ha said, her tone mocking and her voice grating. Hibiki clenched her left fist tightly in irritation, but said nothing in return. The Custodian, for her part, didn't seem content with just watching; she had to comment on everything that caught her eye.

As the harbor's gate closed, the armored truck maneuvered to present its backside to the port. Genjuro walked forward, and the Adaptors followed after him, stopping short in front of the steel double doors. As the guards took point in a wide circle around the truck, Genjuro signalled them to open. A pair of the guards approached, unlocking the various mechanisms used to keep the doors shut, and pulled them apart to reveal the inside.

"We welcome you to SONG, Noble Red."

"You've set up quite a welcome party, I see," Vanessa said derisively as she walked forward. Naturally, her hands were bound with reinforced handcuffs, as were Millaarc's and Elsa's. Of course, Genjuro and the guards knew they were a mere front; the handcuffs were ultimately useless and wouldn't actually stop them if they tried to escape. They were there as a message, nothing more.

A ramp extended down from the truck and to the ground, creating a passage for the three to descend. Vanessa went first with the other two following after her, with one of the guards keeping his hands on Elsa's suitcase for safekeeping. They knew that it was her primary weapon, so depriving her of it would cripple Noble Red's power.

As Millaarc exited the vehicle, Genjuro immediately noticed the bloodlust rolling off of Maria. Glancing to the other Adaptors, he saw that they had felt it as well. Her eyes narrowed as she glared daggers at the vampire, who met her murderous gaze with a determined one of her own.

In the back of Hibiki's mind, Shem-Ha pondered to herself aloud. She didn't say anything as the trio put their feet on the ground, and merely studied them carefully, hovering around each of them inconspicuously. Hibiki wasn't quite sure what she was doing, but she didn't bother asking.

"Now then, please follow me," Genjuro announced. He towered over Vanessa by quite a bit, but the cyborg didn't seem at all intimidated by his stature. She met his gaze confidently, and nodded in acknowledgment. "Adaptors, take point."

"Yes, sir."

Knowing what they had to do, the five Adaptors did as they were told, taking position behind Noble Red as they walked towards the submarine. Genjuro stood at the front, with his back to them, so it was the Adaptors' job to respond quickly should any of the three attempt something. An entourage of guards followed after them, providing reinforcements in case it was necessary.

As the last one in the line of the Adaptors, Hibiki still felt that this was completely overkill. There were other ways they could take them in that didn't involve an entire battalion of armed escorts, Genjuro, and the five of them.

" _Do you truly comprehend so little?"_

Shem-Ha's piercing question made her groan again. Chris looked back to her briefly in worry, but said nothing.

As the group approached the back of the submarine, steam escaped the hatch as the ramp leading into the hangar slowly descended. This was the usual way they transported their prisoners, making sure to create a straight path to the brig. As soon as the ramp touched the ground, Genjuro began walking again.

And so Noble Red were led to the onboard jail, with the entire trek remaining completely silent save for a cough from Kirika halfway. The entire time, Shem-Ha hung about, floating slowly through the air or leaning back against one of the walls.

"Allow me to apologize for this needless show; it's part of a procedure I'm sure you're all already aware of," Genjuro said as they walked, keeping his head forward.

Vanessa let out a huff, causing her giant hair decoration to cling against the ground. "How kind of you. Now then, I don't suppose you could remove these handcuffs."

"Not quite yet, unfortunately," he said with a shake of his head. "Part of the procedure after all."

All of this was pointless protocol, and everyone knew it. However, it was this protocol that determined just how much Noble Red could be trusted. If they went along with SONG's demands, only then would they be able to retain a measure of their freedom, and by extension, the blood they needed to survive.

That was the sword of Damocles that SONG held over the trio; Souji had also brought along his entire stash of the blood, making sure Noble Red couldn't get it anywhere else save in SONG. He hadn't personally joined the caravan as he had other things to attend to, but he trusted Genjuro well enough to handle things professionally.

Soon enough, the group reached the brig. Genjuro led the trio into the cell, which had been prepared for them ahead of time with all the necessary facilities. As they were beckoned to stand inside the space of the cell, Genjuro dismissed the guards. As the guard taking Elsa's suitcase turned to leave, the girl spoke up.

"Please at least let me keep it here," she asked. As the guard stopped in his tracks, he looked to Genjuro for further orders. The commander nodded, and the guard turned, bringing the suitcase over to her. She immediately grabbed the handle with her handcuffed hands, letting out a relieved sigh. With that he finally left, and the door sealed shut behind him. Only Genjuro, the Adaptors, and Noble Red remained in the brig, allowing them to speak privately.

"So? I suppose now is the interrogation time, yes?" Vanessa said.

"It is," Genjuro confirmed. However, as soon as he was about to continue speaking, his communicator alerted him to an incoming call. "Excuse me."

He checked the display, and his eyes narrowed. He raised his head to look at the gathered group and nodded apologetically. "I'm afraid I must take this call. Girls, please keep an eye on them. I'll be right back."

At that, he left, and the door shut behind him. Suddenly, the Adaptors found themselves alone with their enemies, and the tension in the air was palpable. The two groups, who have just days before had battled to the death, now stood face to face as prospective allies.

Naturally, it didn't sit well with all of them. Shirabe and Kirika tried to keep an open mind, but Chris had a harder time in doing so, watching the trio with a distrustful gaze. Maria in particular had been deathly quiet the entire time, leaning against the wall and brooding to herself as she continued to glare hatefully in the trio's direction.

"So..." Chris began, putting a hand on her hip. "I guess this is happening now."

Elsa nodded calmly. "Yes, it is. It is a strange situation, and obviously not the most optimal solution we could've reached, but I believe it's necessary for the benefit of us all."

"You speak wisely, Elsa-chan," Vanessa said.

"So? What's the catch here? I doubt you'd help us out of the goodness of your heart," Chris retorted, causing Elsa to pout annoyedly.

"Isn't it obvious," Millaarc spoke up, cutting into their musing. "We want to become human again. That's why we helped that old bastard, and that's why we're helping you now. We help you get rid of him, and you'll use the divine power for us _first._ If you don't do that, there's no deal."

Despite herself, Hibiki was shocked. She had heard Vanessa speak that desire during their confrontations, but didn't expect them to put so much faith in them to hold their end of the bargain.

It was then Shem-Ha spoke again, leaning against the inner wall of the cell right by the trio. "An incredulous prospect. You'd be right to think so," she said, looking towards her host. "After all, their faith in your group is entirely misplaced."

" _Wait, what?"_ Hibiki thought in confusion.

"This is what happens when Man dabbles in things they do not understand," the Custodian explained. "Divine power is capable of many things, such as altering the lay of the land, modifying the climate, and even creating life. However, there is one thing that it cannot do..."

She glanced back to the trio, who were utterly unaware of her existence.

"It cannot turn back time."

Hibiki's breath stopped. " _You can't mean...!"_

None of the others were aware of the ominous revelation. Hibiki was once again too preoccupied speaking with Shem-Ha to realize what was happening with Maria, who stood right next to her. The idol pushed off of the wall she had been leaning against, and strode slowly forward.

"...So everything you did... Everything that happened... Tsubasa... It was all because of that?"

The tone with which she presented her question didn't sit right with any of them. However, Millaarc utterly dismissed it, and replied nonchalantly. "Yeah, it was. Got a problem with that?"

The following silence was excruciating. Maria's head tilted down, her hair falling upon her face and hiding her eyes. The other Adaptors watched her worryingly, only vaguely sure of where she was going with her question.

They did not, however, expect what happened next.

Kirika tried to speak up, to ask her elder what she meant. As soon as the very first word left her lips, Maria made her move.

None of them could've seen it coming. To them, Maria was always a dependable, older sister figure who would listen to their worries, and at times, be a shoulder to lean on. While not infallible, she was kind, understanding, and warm when the situation required for it.

She, of all people, was expected to know what doomed wishes were like.

But even she had her limits. Like a can that had been consistently shaken, her anger had grown all the deeper since the beginning of the incident, held in check by a sense of looming purpose.

Yet it was as if Millaarc had cast a second spell, this time on her. However, it was not one of domination, but rather, the cause of a reaction that not even she could've expected. Upon seeing the vampire's face, and upon hearing what her wish entailed, caused a torrent of emotions and memories in Maria's mind to rush to the forefront.

The can had reached its limit. The dam, which had been battered repeatedly without any maintenance, burst. Everything that had gathered underneath the surface exploded outwards all at once.

In the blink of an eye, Maria charged at Millaarc with all her strength. The vampire didn't even have the time to be surprised before she was tackled to the floor, letting out a surprised yelp as her back hit the ground. Maria immediately straddled her, locking her in place.

Before anyone including Millaarc could respond to the sudden action, Maria's fist flew forward and smashed into the vampire's face with all the strength she could muster.

[ _(Play: Ever-Present Feeling - Fate/Grand Order OST)_ ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36z8vhb0yw8)

The sound of her fist striking Millaarc was akin to a gunshot, causing all those watching to flinch instinctively. Yet, Maria did not even register her surprise, her vision filled with the wretched visage of the vampire she hated so much.

The blow stunned Millaarc, who looked dumbfoundedly at her assailant. Taking advantage of her surprise, Maria threw forward a second punch that forced the vampire's head to the side.

"ALL THE PEOPLE WHO DIED—!"

She had no intention of stopping. Rearing back her fist again, she delivered another blow.

"EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENED TO TSUBASA—!"

Her blood boiled in her veins. Her heart thumped in her ears. She threw another punch, causing blood to fly out of Millaarc's mouth.

"ALL OF THAT WAS BECAUSE OF YOUR FUCKING SELFISH DESIRE?!"

Another punch.

And another.

And another.

Her knuckles stung and bled as she continued her furious assault. Her anger flared higher and higher with each blow she delivered, and she struck harder and harder with every repetition.

"STOP!"

Someone screamed at her, but she didn't even register their voice. As she tried to deliver another blow, her arm was momentarily stopped by a pair of small, cuffed hands. Seeing nothing but her enemy, she yanked hard, and her elbow hit something that caused her arm to be released.

"Kya—!"

There was a soft thud, and all at once the expression on Millaarc's face changed from a dazed confusion to immediate anger.

"You bitch! How dare you do that to Elsa!"

For a moment, Maria forgot who that Elsa was. It didn't matter, however, as the vampire finally found it in herself to retaliate, bringing up her cuffed hands to claw and scratch at Maria's arms, chest, and face.

Even so, the idol kept up her assault. She cared about nothing other than the enemy before her, even as one of her slashes came dangerously close to gouging out her eye. Blood dripped down her eyelid, forcing her injured eye closed.

Even so, she continued.

"YOU WERE SO DESPERATE TO RETURN FROM BEING MONSTERS! AND YET, YOU TURNED YOUR HEARTS MONSTROUS IN THE PROCESS!"

"Maria, stop!" "Oi! Cut it out!"

Far more familiar voices joined the chaos. She didn't even realize who they belonged to, and only continued to brawl with the vampire. She could feel how the bones in her hands creaked and cracked, giving way under the toughness of Millaarc's skull.

Even so, she continued.

This time, three pairs of uncuffed arms tried to hold her arms back. Yet, just like before, she refused to relent. The adrenaline is her veins pumped powerfully, enhancing her maddened strength further. The interlopers completely failed to hold her back, and instead, the back of her hand struck something once again.

"Ugh...!"

"Shirabe!"

"AND YOU DARE SAY YOU WANT TO BECOME HUMAN AGAIN?!"

Their scuffle continued, with nobody able to stop either of the two. They bled and bruised, intent on injuring their opponent as much as possible. Any thought of cooperation, assistance, or empathy were tossed out the window, and all that remained were two sides hellbent on eliminating the other.

For Maria, it was a matter of principle-no, it was a matter of revenge. In her mind's eye, she could see all the thousands of people who had died; crushed by debris, each other, and the Noise. She could hear the vampire's cackle in her ears, and she grinded her teeth to the point of breaking.

But most of all, she could see Tsubasa's grief-stricken expression, her face caked with the blood of the little girl who had admired her so much. Her anguished sense of failure, compounded by the sorrowful tears she shed afterwards.

Her blank, kaleidoscopic eyes as she stood beside Kazanari Fudou, who crackled savagely at his victory.

Each and every one of these sights made her hatred burn brighter. In the heat of the moment, Millaarc attempted to use her Stained Glance once again. Her eyes once more shone with rainbow colors, but before their effect could activate, Maria slammed her fist straight into her nose, throwing off her focus.

"YOU DON'T DESERVE TO HAVE YOUR WISH GRANTED! YOU WILL _NEVER_ BECOME HUMANS AGAIN!"

She reached for her belt, withdrawing her SONG communicator from its pouch. Its antenna extended, and she flipped it over in her grip.

Millaarc gasped as Maria brought her arm down, intent on stabbing those demonic eyes out of existence. Just before she could finish her swing, a pair of beefy arms wrapped around her shoulders, locking her in place. With a strong heave, she was lifted off the vampire and the ground, and her legs flailed wildly as she resisted.

"Maria-kun, cease this at once!"

"LET GO OF ME!" she screamed at the top of her lungs. "THEY'RE THE ONES WHO LET THEIR DESPERATION TURN THEM INTO DEMONS! I'LL NEVER ACCEPT THESE MONSTERS, AND I'LL MAKE SURE THEY PAY FOR THEIR CRIMES EVEN IF IT COSTS ME MY LIFE!"

As Genjuro dragged her away from the trio, Vanessa and Elsa rushed to their comrade's side. They helped Millaarc to her feet, but she immediately tried to trudge forward and resume her feud. Before she could do so, they grabbed her arms, stopping her in her tracks.

"WHO THE HELL ARE YOU TO TALK, BITCH?!" Millaarc screamed, fighting against her friends' grips.

"Millaarc-chan!"

Angrily, Maria kicked forward. Her shoe flew off her foot and nailed Millaarc square in the face, enraging the vampire further. She renewed her struggle, determined to choke the life out of Maria herself.

"YOU'RE SO FULL OF SHIT! YOU DID THE EXACT SAME THING YOURSELF! YOU'RE THE ONE WHO HELD THE ENTIRE WORLD HOSTAGE FOR YOUR DAMN SELFISHNESS! YOU'RE THE ONE WHO SICCED THE NOISE ON INNOCENTS AND LET A MADMAN NEARLY TAKE OVER THE WORLD!"

Maria bit back. "AT LEAST MY INTENTIONS WERE ACTUALLY NOBLE, UNLIKE YOURS! I DID IT TO _SAVE_ THE WORLD!"

"THAT'S BULLSHIT AND YOU KNOW IT! INTENTIONS DON'T MEAN A FUCKING THING! PEOPLE STILL DIED AND IT WAS COMPLETELY YOUR FAULT!"

That shut the idol up, and she bit her lip and glared hatefully at her enemy. With Maria's turn over, it was now Millaarc's time to unload everything.

"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU KNOW OF DESPERATION?!" she screamed, her emotions flaring so high tears started to gather around her eyes. "WE WERE EXPERIMENTED ON LIKE LAB RATS AND TOSSED AWAY AS FAILURES! THEY STOLE OUR HUMANITY FROM US AND MADE EVERY DAY A LIVING HELL, FORCING US TO STRUGGLE DAY BY DAY JUST TO LIVE!"

She didn't even notice she had stopped struggling. Her anger was quickly replaced by overwhelming grief and despair, and tears started pouring down her face.

"YOU THINK WE WANTED TO DO ANY OF THIS?! YOU THINK THIS IS SOMETHING WE WISHED FOR?! OF COURSE IT FUCKING WASN'T! WE WERE FORCED ON THE RUN, BRANDED AS CRIMINALS, WHEN ALL WE WANTED WAS TO BE LEFT ALONE!"

Even Maria settled down somewhat as she started to begrudgingly listen. Millaarc's voice cracked as her vocal chords gave way.

"That bastard offered us a chance nobody else gave us! He gave us a glimmer of hope we never had! We did everything he asked of us and more, but he betrayed us anyway! He stepped on the single wish we had in our hearts even after we had already sold our souls completely! And in the end, we had nothing left, barely even our lives!"

It was all extremely overwhelming. Utter silence descended on the jail as Millaarc's desperate words hung in the air. Genjuro, having felt that Maria's struggles had calmed down, cautiously released her, making sure she wasn't about to lunge at the vampire again.

She didn't.

"At least you were given a real chance! At least someone listened to you and supported you after everything you've done! But us? We never got that chance! There hasn't been a single day since that concert that I didn't see that little girl's face in my mind! I haven't slept in a long time, because the one time I did I was tormented by nightmares! I already know the only place I deserve to go is hell, but is it so fucking wrong to want to have a quiet, normal life with the only family I have left?!"

" _What a fool,"_ Shem-Ha said dismissively. " _She is—"_

Her words fell on deaf ears, however. Rather than entertain her arrogance further, Hibiki ignored the Custodian in her head and ran forward, her legs instinctively taking her towards the trio. As she approached, Millaarc briefly tensed.

"What the hell do you wan—"

Only for Hibiki to take her hand in her own.

"There's nothing wrong about that!"

"Hibiki-san?!"

" _What do you think you're doing?"_

Hibiki ignored everyone's shock, keeping her focus on the vampire. Millaarc's tearful shouts brought back the dark memories she had of the two years after that tragic concert.

"I know exactly what it feels like when nobody gives you a chance! I was in the same place after the concert two years ago!"

Noble Red as a whole stopped and listened, taken aback by her bold admittance and sudden understanding. Hibiki continued unhindered, letting every she could out to make them see.

"I didn't do anything wrong, yet I was called a criminal and murderer by others just for surviving, just for wanting to live! I wasn't able to leave the house, and even that became a prison when my dad became violent!"

Digging up those old memories caused her to choke up, but she forced it down. She had to tell them everything, no matter what.

"Nobody gave me a chance except Miku! She was the only one who ever believed in me and pushed me to keep myself up every day, no matter how bad it got. If I didn't have her, I'm not sure how I would've ended up!"

She dreaded that thought greatly. What really would've happened had Miku not been there to bring her from the brink?

"That's why I understand what it feels like not to have a chance, but even more importantly, I know exactly what it feels like to be given one! Just one tiny chance to make things better, and that's what I did!"

That warm hand that had saved her was taken from her by the three people in front of her. She had every right, every reason, and every justification to be furious and to hate them. To curse their names and to wish upon them a terrible fate.

Yet, she didn't.

"That's why I, no, _we_ will give you that chance!" she grandiosely proclaimed. Noble Red were shocked, unable to find any words to say in response. Hibiki's fellow Adaptors were equally puzzled by her upfront promise, similarly astonished yet familiar with how aggressively she tried to make sure everyone got along.

Of course, one of them didn't quite feel the same at the moment, having just finished a bloody altercation.

"Hibiki-san!" Maria yelled at her in disbelief, her eyes widening with a look of betrayal on her face. "You'd forgive them for what they did?!"

"This has nothing to do with forgiveness!" she yelled back. She turned her head back to the trio. "I know you made a lot of mistakes, but I know now that it wasn't entirely your fault. I know that if you could've chosen differently, you would have!"

Millaarc hesitantly gazed down to her hand, which Hibiki was holding. She could see how the girl's hand was shaking, and as she looked into her eyes, she could see exactly the reason why: she too was torn. But despite that, she was making them this offer.

"Now is the time to make that choice! Please, help us! Please help us fix this! I don't know if we'll be able to make you human again, but even so, we'll try! I promise, we won't turn on you like he did!"

She clutched Millaarc's hand tightly with both of hers, and brought their conjoined hold up to her forehead. She closed her eyes as the tears began falling.

"Please... help us get Tsubasa-san and Miku back. That's... that's all we want. That's the only wish we have right now. So please... please..."

Just thinking of Miku tore her apart from the inside, to the point that her sorrow had silenced Shem-Ha completely.

She felt someone put a hand on her shoulder, slowly dragging her back away from the trio. Her hold on Millaarc's hand loosened, and she looked back briefly to see Chris gaze at her sadly.

Taking the lead, Vanesssa stepped forward, standing as confidently as she could. "Since we've already agreed to help you, we will. We'll be holding you to that promise, even if you've once been associated with that man too," she said, letting out a tired sigh. "I suppose we were all tricked by him."

In response, Genjuro stepped forward as well. He gently pushed Maria towards Ogawa, and spoke sternly. "Take her to her room and make sure she stays there. I'll have words with her later. Also, call a doctor to check on them both."

The ninja nodded, and he led Maria by the arm out of the jail. The idol gazed one last time towards Noble Red and then to Hibiki before she was led out, the door sliding shut behind her. Kirika and Shirabe looked at the door with a conflicted expression, even as Shirabe nursed her wounded cheek.

Genjuro turned back to the trio and continued. "I apologize for my subordinate's outburst. I should've seen it coming and did nothing to prevent it, and I'll make sure she'll face disciplinary actions for hurting you and jeopardizing our missions," he said with a short bow.

Vanessa was unsure of how to respond, falling back on the usual formality. "It's fine; this was probably inevitable anyway."

Genjuro nodded and sighed. "We were indeed all tricked by him, and that's why I believe we should cooperate. Naturally, I'll give you time to think this over again; I request you give me your answer tomorrow as soon as possible."

"We will," Vanessa said in return. She momentarily looked back to her companions, seeing Elsa lead Millaarc to sit down on one of the beds in the cell. "I believe it's best we adjourn for the night."

"I agree," he said. "In a show of good faith, I'll keep the bars unlocked, but unfortunately I cannot allow you to wander around just yet, so the door will remain closed. Once you give me your answer tomorrow, we can go from there. If you need anything, make sure to say so; I'll have my people keep an eye on you."

"Thank you."

With that, Genjuro turned towards the door. "Then let us leave now. We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow."

The Adaptors nodded slowly. One by one, the members of SONG left the brig, each of them throwing one last glance at the trio in the cell. Hibiki's was the only one whose gaze they met in return.

And so, the door closed behind them. With a click and a beep, it was locked shut, leaving the trio to think silently to themselves. Vanessa went to sit by Millaarc's other side, whispering soothing words in her ear.

-!-

As soon as Hibiki entered her room, she disregarded everything and went straight to her bed, falling on her back. She brought her arm up over her eyes, her heart finally having calmed down from the tumultuous meeting with Noble Red.

She released a tired breath, appreciating the peace and quiet the solitude in her room brought her.

However, it wasn't meant to be; she wasn't alone after all. The Custodian in the back of her head spoke up regardless of her personal feelings, taking the chance to dig at her once again.

" _Unbelievable. How much of an imbecile can you possibly be?"_

It took everything she had in her to stop herself from asking Shem-Ha to be quiet, even though the Custodian could read her mind. She groaned and lifted herself to sitting position. She gazed towards Shem-Ha, who stood in front of her with her arms crossed.

"I have already told you that their wish is impossible, yet you promise them it still? Have you understood nothing?"

"It's not about what's possible or isn't," Hibiki responded. "It's about doing what's right."

"What's right?" Shem-Ha repeated incredulously. "You fool, justice is meaningless here."

"This has nothing to do with justice. I couldn't just sit back and see them beg for help again and again."

Shem-Ha raised an eyebrow. "Help? Is that how you perceived the vampire's tirade? Seeking help?"

"What else could it be?" Hibiki asked, meeting her accusatory gaze evenly. "All they've ever wanted was to be helped, yet nobody did that for them. The only reason they turned out as they did was because of that. If anyone had ever offered them a sincere hand, none of this would've happened."

"So you shift the responsibility to those you do not even know? To those you cannot control?"

Hibiki shifted uncomfortably, grasping at her arm. "Maybe. Maybe I am, maybe I'm not. I'm not really sure myself. What I _am_ sure of is that their past doesn't matter right now. All that matters is that they help us make things right, just like with you."

The Custodian fell silent for a moment. "Overwhelmed by irritation," she murmured, running a hand through her hair. "This is the exact reason why the Curse of Balal must be purged. The lack of understanding is the reason behind their suffering, as it was the reason behind yours. But even so, your audacious altruism will one day be your undoing."

Hibiki stared at her with wide eyes. "What?"

"One day, you will learn that many of those you offer your hand to will not be satisfied with grasping it. They will only be satisfied with amputating it completely so no other will be able to grasp it."

Hibiki leaned forward on the edge of the bed, bringing her hands together. She clutched them tightly and spoke defiantly.

"But even so, I will believe that when people are given the chance to do right, they'll do so."

"Then you are a fool heading straight to your own demise."

Those last words were tinged with an emotion Hibiki couldn't quite place, but it felt like something between anger and sorrow. She hadn't expected that from Shem-Ha, even if what she said was used to insult her directly.

She didn't care if she was being a fool. In fact, it was quite the opposite.

Deep in her heart, Hibiki found it impossible to truly forgive Noble Red for what they had done. Yet, she knew that they were needed in order to save Miku. Just for that, she was willing to turn the other cheek and cooperate with them.

Shem-Ha was giving her too much credit. This was her own selfish desire.

A desire she swore she would accomplish.

By any means necessary.


	4. Hand that Feeds

"Ow..."

Shirabe winced as the cotton ball gently touched her cheek.

"Hold still, Tsukuyomi-san," the nurse said. "I need to treat it before it swells."

Shirabe wordlessly obeyed her instructions. Mere minutes after the heated exchange in the brig, Shirabe and Kirika had headed to the infirmary in order to treat the wound Maria had accidentally inflicted on her. As Kirika watched the nurse, she snuck a glance to the other end of the room, where Maria sat with the doctor, treating her own injury. She had bled profusely during her scuffle with Millaarc, nearly losing an eye in the process.

While the tension had more or less dispersed by now, it still hung in the air as a cloud of uncertainty. In particular, Maria had been deathly quiet, following the doctor's orders without a word. Ogawa had been told to take her to her room, but they had decided to pass through the infirmary first so her injuries could be cared for. Even now, he stood still by the door, guarding not its occupants, but the others.

Maria was to be punished for her outburst, regardless of the reason. That much Kirika understood, as much as it pained her to admit.

"And we're done," the nurse said. "You're free to go, Tsukuyomi-san."

"Thank you."

The nurse smiled, and returned to her worktable to put back her tools. Kirika sat down by her partner's side on the bed, looking at her worriedly. "Does it still hurt?"

"A little bit, but I'll be fine," Shirabe answered, touching her wounded cheek briefly. Upon lowering her hand, her face fell. "I'm more worried about Maria."

"...Yeah, me too," Kirika said. Together, the two looked towards their elder again, watching as the doctor left her side for a moment to grab a few necessary tools. Seizing the opportunity, the two rose from the bed and approached her silently, unsure what to say.

Maria, for her part, seemed to ruminate to herself. She looked to the floor with her one open eye, the other in the process of being bandaged. The doctor returned, putting the finishing touches on his patient so she could be released. All the while, Shirabe and Kirika stood quietly, simply watching the process unfold before them.

A few minutes later, he was done, and he stepped away to give Maria and the duo the space they needed. While he and the other nurses couldn't leave the infirmary for their privacy, they could at least not listen into their conversation.

"Maria..." Shirabe mumbled sorrowfully.

The idol looked to her with a grief-stricken, conflicted expression. She raised her hand to Shirabe's injured cheek, caressing it tenderly.

"I'm sorry, Shirabe."

The younger girl placed her own hand atop hers, gently lowering it to hold it with both hands. The pain from her cheek was nothing compared to what Maria was going through. She could see it in her gaze, how she was torn apart by her own thoughts. Still holding onto her hand, Shirabe sat down next to her on the bed while Kirika took her other side. The two of them looked to her as her gaze returned to the floor.

"Maria..."

"I can't accept them," Maria cut in. "I will never, ever be able to accept them. To forgive them."

Shirabe's forlorn gaze cut into her. "Why?"

The older girl fell silent for a tense moment. She bit her lip, her thoughts churning. "It's like I'm looking into an old mirror, reflecting back at me everything that I was. I was—no, I suppose it's more correct to say that all three of us were in their place once. The difference between us and them is miniscule."

The two younger girls quickly understood what she meant. Thinking on it now, she was right; FIS and Noble Red were two peas in a pod. Regular people with messed up pasts that were experimented on for someone else's benefit. Living in the shadow of others, and deemed criminals by the masses. Desiring a certain goal, whether world salvation or inner peace.

The similarities were great. The only difference was in their circumstances.

And in who they decided to put their trust.

"And it's precisely because they are exactly like us that I can't forgive them. I don't blame them for what happened to them, and I don't blame them that they were betrayed. No, I blame them for the fact that they gave up. They gave up on themselves and are now just desperately trying to reach for anything that can help them."

Maria squeezed Shirabe's hand tight as her expression soured.

Her younger charge, who has shown great wisdom in the past, understood. "Because we could've ended up just like them..."

"Yeah," Maria agreed with a nod. "We could've ended up just like them if we had believed in Ver so blindly. No... _I_ could've ended up like them had I done so. They let their agony consume them, and they did everything they could to get back what they lost. In the process of trying to become humans again, they discarded their human hearts."

That was where the difference lay. In the end, Maria never threw away her pride as a human, even while she gritted her teeth and drew her own blood while assisting Ver. She never relished death and she never aimed to cause as much destruction and suffering as possible. She never went out of her way to try and justify her own acts, knowing full well that they were evil.

But Noble Red did.

Kirika gave her a sorrowful look. "But Maria, the way Millaarc-san cried, isn't it—"

"The same exact way I did, yeah," she replied. "We both committed the same crimes due to our own reasons. I can understand that, but I can't accept her. If I do, it'll be like forgiving the sins I myself committed. I will never forget the shame of allowing myself to fall that low, and I don't mind giving my life to repenting for what I've done."

Once again her expression was painted with anger, and she released her hold on Shirabe's hand to clench her fists tight. "But they don't even care about such a thing. If they did, Millaarc wouldn't have gleefully murdered thousands just for the sake of riling Tsubasa up. If they did, they wouldn't involve people who had done nothing to them. If they did, they'd have said they're willing to repent. But they don't, because even now, they're only thinking about themselves and no one else. For them, there's never been anyone else except themselves."

The doctors shuffled about in the background, the beeping from the machinery occupying the air in the medbay. Maria's wounds stung, a constant reminder of her failures.

"That's why I won't accept them. I'll work with them for everyone's sake, but that's as far as I'm willing to go. I'll never see any of them as an ally, comrade, or a friend. That's Hibiki-san's territory, not mine. The only thing I have on my mind right now is making that bastard pay, and getting Tsubasa and Miku-san back. I have no room in my heart for forgiveness."

It was a somber thing for her to say. Her juniors could only look at each other, saddened by the fact that their guardian had been turned towards such an absolute conclusion.

The two of them had briefly thought about how to make Noble Red feel more welcome, but they knew that Maria would not budge on this front. They knew that they would not be able to make her change her mind.

It was inevitable. They'd have to live with this tension so long as this uneasy alliance existed. They just hoped that the trio would still be willing to work with them after what happened.

"I understand," Shirabe muttered. "You don't have to explain it any further. Leave them to the rest of us; I don't believe we're in a hurry to become friends with them either. They're using us just as much as we're using them, so it's only fair."

Kirika however looked conflicted. "But is it really fair?" she asked hesitantly. "If they're just like us, then they need the chance we got. Maybe if we really give them that, like Hibiki-san said, then they can change too."

In response to that, Maria let out a huff. "You're a lot more optimistic than me, Kirika; it's always been one of your better qualities," she said, and her face hardened. "I want to believe that's possible, but right now, I can't."

And that's where she ended it. If there was anything that Kirika and Shirabe found vexating about their elder, it was her headstrong stubbornness. Now that she was like this, only a hard smack to the face will get her to change her mind.

On cue, Ogawa walked up to them. He spoke softly, but somewhat sternly. "Maria-san."

She looked back to him and nodded. "I know. I'm under house arrest, aren't I?"

"Yes. That was the commander's judgement," he said.

"And what do you think?"

He was silent for a moment as he gazed at her. "Honestly, not very different from his. I know why you did what you did, but it risked sabotaging our relationship with a critical ally."

She rose from the bed and walked past him to the door. "I know. I won't try to make excuses. Let's just get this over with."

Ogawa alternated looks between her and her two juniors, unsure what to say to them. Without a word, he turned back to the door just as Maria stepped outside, joining her in the hallway. Just as they started walking, the door shut, leaving the two juniors to stare at it sadly.

"Shirabe... what're we going to do? I don't like this," Kirika said timidly. It was during times like these that she was at a loss, because her attempts at keeping everyones' spirits up failed to bring any results. Had the situation been more manageable, it might've worked, but she was not so foolish as to not understand when it was inappropriate.

It made her feel helpless. Like there was nothing she could directly do to help anyone, and could only watch from the side and wait for things to happen.

"We do what we can, Kiri-chan," her partner said as she took her hand. "We'll figure it out, like we always did."

How she wished it was truly that simple. Without anything left to do in the medbay, the duo left to plan their next move.

-!-

Genjuro rubbed the bridge of his nose as he went over the latest reports. This situation was nerve-wracking, especially since they couldn't slip in their vigilance.

"Any changes in the barrier?" he asked off-handedly.

"None, sir."

He didn't expect a different answer. He sighed, tapping the surface of his console in perturbed silence. He felt so useless, just sitting around waiting for something to happen. They had no proactive action to take, and all they could do was sit on their existing information and try to turn it into something useful.

But above it all, he found his father's lack of action strange. Normally he'd immediately put his new assets to work, and not just loaf around inside of a bubble. Fudou didn't get as far as he did just by letting time pass on its own. He had grasped his position through extreme effort and subterfuge, and had even served as Section 2's commander years ago.

It was the Zwei Wing Incident, along with everything following it, that caused him to step down. Fine spiriting away Chris and Ichaival right under his nose made him lose face, and so Genjuro had succeeded him.

Not that losing this position ever mattered to him. He had already deeply ingrained himself in Japanese politics to the point that it didn't even matter what role he played. It only mattered that it was him who played it, whether he had to act on his own or have someone else do so on his behalf.

A master at manipulating others to do his bidding. If Genjuro's action films were any indication, his father made for the absolutely perfect villain. The final boss that the protagonist had to defeat to save his loved ones and the world.

Normally, Genjuro would've met that challenge with a smile and a laugh. But now, seeing it in reality dug in just how unrealistic life was. He felt no joy or excitement, only a frigid anxiety that clung to his heart and made him question everything that had led him to this moment.

How could he have allowed this to happen? There was only misery to be found in such a situation. The goddamn movies lied to him, and he fell for those lies like a child seduced by candy from a stranger.

He was torn from his thoughts as a familiar beep rose from the front of the bridge. He raised his head, looking towards his team of operators.

"Sir, it's from your brother."

He exhaled softly through his nose. "Put him through."

With a click, the display lit up.

"Gen," Yatsuhiro said in his usual business-like tone.

"Aniki," the younger brother replied. "What did they say?"

His older brother releasing a tired sigh told him all he needed to know. "They threw us under the bus," he confirmed. "They're pulling out their support and leaving us to deal with it on our own."

Genjuro clicked his tongue. "Damn. They have another international incident on their hands and they're sitting back and letting it happen," he grumbled. "Are you sure we can't handle this without them?"

"As much as I'd like that to be true, we can't," Yatsuhiro said with a shake of his head. "In fact, it's not so much as needing their help as making sure they don't turn against us."

That alarmed Genjuro greatly. "Explain."

"They decided to air out their grievances with our government by blaming the Kazanari clan directly," the older brother said. "The very fact that I am a Kazanari already makes me a possible suspect in collusion in their eyes. For all the strings he pulled and all the connections he's made, Fudou has also made a great deal of enemies, particularly on the international front."

Genjuro crossed his arms. "His nationalistic attitude was just a front for his xenophobia. The old conservative farts worshipped the ground he walked on. If they find out about this, there's no doubt they'll rally to his side even if it means damning our relationship with the UN and making enemies of every nation in the world." His brows furrowed in irritation. "And that's what he wants too. The best case scenario for him would be to drive a rift between Japan and the rest of the world, forcing the civilians into siding with him."

"Exactly. As a result, it's imperative we don't lose the support of the UN. We have to make sure they at least stay on our side so we can isolate him," Yatsuhiro said.

Genjuro once again grumbled, scratching the back of his knuckle in thought. "How useful would that be though..." he said. "We still don't know the extent of what the divine power is capable of. For all we know, it doesn't even matter to him who sides with him. Because everything is possible, we have to take virtually every possibility into account."

"And that, by its definition, is impossible," Yatsuhiro finished for him. "We must start by reducing the possible dangers to us first. We'll just have to see what he does and react accordingly. In the meantime, Gen, there's a favor I'd like to ask of you."

The younger brother raised an eyebrow at the sudden request. "Hoh? What is it, Aniki?"

"Well, it's—" Yatsuhiro started, before he was interrupted by the door to the bridge sliding open.

Genjuro swiveled in his chair partly, looking to see Chris enter the bridge with a thoughtful expression on her face.

"Old man."

"Chris-kun," he said. "How can I help you?"

She briefly noted Yatsuhiro's face on the monitor, then turned back to the commander. "I want to talk to those three."

He raised an interested eyebrow. "Noble Red, you mean?"

"Yeah," she confirmed with a nod of her head. "What happened earlier doesn't sit right with me, even if I think she deserved it."

"I assume you mean Millaarc-kun," he said as he rubbed his chin. "What brought this on?"

Chris scratched at her hand as she looked at him seriously. "They're probably having second thoughts right about now, no? Then I want to set the record straight with them. Keep them on board and make sure they don't backstab us."

Genjuro blinked at her curiously. He looked over his shoulder at his brother, who remained suspiciously silent during the whole exchange. Seeing as he had nothing to say, he turned back to her. "And what are you going to say to them?"

"I'll be real," she said confidently, knowing what she said wasn't all that clear. "I'll put all the cards on the table and let them know what we're offering. I don't like them either, but if I got the crap beat out of me by the people I'm supposed to be helping, then obviously I'll start thinking if it's worth helping at all. I can understand where they're coming from; and besides, none of the others are fit to do this anyway. The twins aren't good at this type of thing, and neither is the idiot. Maria ain't allowed out of her room, and you're busy doing your own thing. I'm the best bet at keeping them on our side."

Genjuro could not hide his surprise. Touched by her forwardness, and intrigued at what she had in mind, he could only give her an approving nod.

"Alright, I'll allow it," he said, and she nodded in return. "As a precaution, I'll keep the cameras on and monitor your situation from here. I trust that you can handle yourself, but it's always a good idea to be careful."

"Okay, so I just go in, or...?"

"Your security pass will open the door like normal. Keep your relic in your hand and take care not to look Millaarc-kun directly in the eye. We still don't know exactly how her power works, so be extra careful with her."

"Got it," Chris said. "Then I'll get right on that."

Just like that, she turned on her heel and left the bridge, leaving Genjuro to stare at the closed door in half amusement, half surprise. He then turned back to his brother, who had remained on-screen.

"So where were we, Aniki?" he asked.

Yatsuhiro did not answer immediately, causing Genjuro to look at him with a narrowed, confused gaze.

After a silent minute, he finally spoke up. "Gen, let me watch their exchange."

Genjuro's eyebrows shot upwards as he processed what his brother just asked of him. "Wait, what?"

"It's relevant to my earlier request," Yatsuhiro clarified. "I want to see how she performs in the face of this problem."

Genjuro felt somewhat skeptical, but didn't ask anything further. "Alright. Tomosato, give him access to the brig cameras."

"Yes sir."

A few clicks later, the display lit up with the footage inside and outside the brig, moving the window showing Yatsuhiro's face to the side.

With all eyes on her, Chris trudged through the hallways to the jail.

-!-

"Millaarc, how are you feeling?" Elsa asked worriedly.

"I'm fine," the vampire said with her teeth bared, cradling her one unbandaged cheek. "With the blood they gave me I'll heal this up in no time, but goddamn did they have to be so stingy with it?"

"It's a sign they don't trust us," Vanessa sighed, crossing her arms as she stood across from the duo.

It's been a few hours since the altercation between Millaarc and Maria, and just as was agreed, the jail cell remained open. The door was naturally locked, and Vanessa's attempts to examine the systems revealed that SONG had isolated the brig's network from the rest of HQ. She could only head into the local files, all of which were worthless and none of which gave any real access to the door controls.

The fact that nobody came in to check on them after she did that proved that they had planned this out from the very beginning. It only further exacerbated her cynicism about whether or not SONG would uphold their end of the bargain. For all their talk of being allies against a common enemy, they had treated them like a threat in the making.

And that was all _after_ one of the Symphogear Adaptors assaulted Millaarc. The words Maria screamed at them still echoed loudly inside Vanessa's mind, giving her pause as she dwelled on their meaning.

"Even with the little blood we have, we can still break down the door," Elsa said with a wistful gaze. "But..."

"Nobody would earn anything from that, especially us," Vanessa said. It's not like they hadn't considered such a move already; in fact, it was the first plan that came to mind once the doctor had left the room. Their second plan had been to brainwash him with Millaarc's power to open the door from the outside, but that fell through as well.

It wasn't because the vampire had failed, or that her power didn't work; it was more because they had hesitated, still pondering which course of action would be the right one to take.

They found themselves at an odd crossroads, with the walls closing in on them from all sides. Cooperation was without a doubt the most correct path, however...

"I don't know if I want to help them anymore," Millarc stated bluntly. Vanessa and Elsa looked to her with saddened expression, knowing exactly why she felt this way. "I don't know if working with them will do us any good. They don't trust us? Fine. I don't trust them either, not after what this bitch did. We didn't come here to be lectured by a hypocrite like her. If they have a problem with what we want, then they can kiss my ass."

Her aggressive tone was only a front, Vanessa noted. Every time Millaarc showed her displeasure, it was through blunt cynicism. She was normally a very preppy girl, and no doubt would've been a happy-go-lucky person had her life not taken the turn it did.

All of them would be, really. But they can't turn back time to those better days; all they can do is try and fix themselves and move on. That's the only way they'd be able to put the hell they've been through behind them.

"Then what would we do instead?" Elsa asked. Vanessa gazed at her, knowing that her question was rhetorical.

The vampire bit the edge of her nail. "I don't know, maybe anything else. Go about this our own way; we could maybe still pull this off. Smash the door, grab the blood, and get out. We can figure everything out after that."

As reckless and thoughtless as always with her. Her two companions knew that she was only speaking out of helplessness though; Millaarc wasn't so dim as to arrogantly believe such a plan would come to fruition. In the hypothetical scenario in which they decided to escape by force, they knew that they'd come up short. Five Symphogear Adaptors would be enough to take them down due to their weakness, not to mention the immovable object that was their commander.

They had virtually no real plan at this point. They were at their mercy, and both parties knew it.

What bothered Vanessa was not knowing why SONG weren't using this leverage against them. Sure, they called for cooperation, but in her experience, such words normally meant the stronger side imposing its will on the weaker one. Practically, they didn't even need to go through these motions at all. Just like with Fudou, they held their reins by seducing them with the blood supply. A single wrong move on their part could spell their deaths in an instant. All SONG had to do was simply not give it to them and they'd be finished.

And yet, the doctor that came to check on Millaarc hadn't given some just to her; no, he had kindly given Elsa and Vanessa some too, claiming that they seemed unwell. That's all he had said, and then left.

It bothered her. Her lips twisted as she tried to make heads or tails of their intentions, but couldn't come up with an answer.

That was when she heard the brig door slide open. The trio were torn out of their thoughts as their shared gazes turned to it just as Chris walked inside. The door slid closed behind her again, locking with a click.

"Yo," she said casually.

Noble Red looked at her with dumbfounded expressions. Of all the things they expected to happen, Yukine Chris walking into their cell alone and unarmed was not one of them.

Vanessa stepped forward to put herself between their visitor and her companions. "What're you doing here?"

"I'm here to talk," Chris said simply.

Naturally, they were skeptical. "Talk? About what?"

"I want to set a few things straight with you three," she replied. "If you're wondering, I'm not here representing anyone. I just want to make sure we're all on the same page so none of the shit that happened today repeats itself, alright?"

It was a bold declaration to make. Still doubtful of her intentions, Vanessa stared up at the camera overlooking the cell, certain that SONG were watching them like hawks. She briefly wondered if she should turn the girl's offer to talk down, but her curiosity took the better of her. She glanced at Elsa and Millaarc, who were both equally confused, and then back to their visitor.

"Fine."

She relaxed her posture, and went to sit on the bed next to her companions. Chris roughly grabbed the lone chair in the room and set it down smack dab in the middle of the cell, making sure she could see all three of them clearly. She sat down without any hint of finesse or professionality, leaning forward slightly.

Millaarc was the first to speak up. "So you're here to talk huh?" she said as she rolled her eyes. "I've heard that a thousand times already."

"Yeah no shit. Old farts tend to do that a lot when they look down on you," Chris replied, shocking the vampire. Millaarc had expected her to lash out, yet her surprisingly calmness threw her off. "I know what it looks like, so hear me out before you decide anything, alright?"

The tone of her voice caused the three to swallow down everything they've been planning to say. They waited for her to speak, watching her cautiously as she seemed to ponder how she should continue. She leaned forward even more, scratching the back of her knuckles.

"Look," she began, raising her gaze to look them straight in the eye. "I know you're in a bad place. Believe me, I've been there too, and if your Illuminati connections were worth anything, then you know that. I think you know everything about everyone here really."

She paused for a moment, knocking her knuckles together a few times.

"I know what it's like to be used by others. My childhood in that regard was absolute hell," she continued, biting her lip as unpleasant memories rose to the surface. "When Fine finally took me, I thought I found my place. She gave me everything and more, and I loved her more than I loved myself. But that was a fucking mistake, because she used that for her own gain. She abused and tortured me, and I took it all in stride because I thought it was for the right cause. But when I proved useless to her, she tossed me aside. I had absolutely nothing except the clothes I wore and my relic pendant that I somehow managed to keep. Honestly, I was damn lucky Miku found me and helped me out. But... sometimes, I stop and think what would've happened if she didn't. Just the thought scares the crap out of me and keeps me up at night."

She leaned back in the chair and took a deep breath, trying to stop herself from shivering from the memories. Noble Red listened, remembering the data they had gleaned on the adaptors from the Illuminati databases.

Not a single one of them was a normal person. No matter how they looked at it, the Symphogear Adaptors were twisted people. Distorted individuals who've had nothing but upheavals in their lives, from being used as test subjects to slavery to social isolation. It was as if one of the requirements to use such a device was to be a problem child with traumatic experiences.

"I'm not gonna mince my words: what she said wasn't entirely wrong," Chris said, and naturally their reaction was to frown deeply, as if betrayed by her sudden stance. "Just like the idiot said, you're not to blame for everything that happened to you, but you gotta understand that what you've been doing hasn't been doing you any favors. You want to become human, but you're literally doing everything that's the opposite of that."

"Oi—!" Millaarc started, but Vanessa forced her back down.

Chris deeply understood her need to protest, but she needed to tell them everything she had in mind. "As someone who's been in that place, you need to know something important: it's not too late. Don't lose what's left of your humanity as you're trying to return to being human. The deeper you go down that hole, the harder it'll be to crawl out of it. You've already done some pretty fucking unforgivable things, but I won't lecture you on that. I don't have the right to."

Chris knew that she herself had done really bad things to innocent people. To this day, she blamed the death of every person killed by the Noise on herself; her quest for world peace led her right to where Fine wanted her, and to the activation of Solomon's Cane. She knew that Maria and the twins felt that way too about what they had done.

She dearly hoped her senpai and the idiot wouldn't fall into such depths themselves. However, as soon as her thoughts drifted to Miku, her mind refused to acknowledge the same. The mere thought of what would happen once Miku knew what Shem-Ha had done would haunt her forever.

The death of those men on the ships she destroyed already tore at her from the inside. Any more than that, and she wouldn't be able to live with the guilt.

"Don't lose yourselves more than you already did."

Millaarc couldn't hold herself back anymore. She shot to her feet and immediately started yelling.

"You think it's that easy?! If we had any choice, we wouldn't have done any of this! You've already heard that so why're you asking us again, huh?! What the hell do you want?!"

"What do _you_ want?"

Chris's question gave her pause, and she stared speechlessly.

"We already talked about the become human part, so what else is there you want? Seriously..." she spit out, scratching the back of her head. "Tell me what you want and we'll do what we can. We already promised you that."

Vanessa huffed. "And you said you don't represent anyone here."

"Not much I can do on my own you know," Chris answered her with a shrug. "But seriously, what the heck do you want? Everybody says cooperation is a compromise and yadda yadda yadda, so let's follow through with that, yeah? You have something we want, and we have something you want. We can't make this work if we don't make that perfectly clear."

As the trio fell silent again, struggling to process her words, she pushed further.

"You want freedom to walk around? You want to run the fuck away with the blood and never look back? Say it! Cos otherwise, nothing will get done here," she continued. "You want a lifetime supply of the blood? Deal. I'll hit up the shortie and see if she can synthesize you something for the long term. You want to become human? We talked about that; we'll do what we can. What else? Buffet of endless cheese? Crackers? Car batteries?"

Her increasingly ridiculous list made Elsa let out a muffled chuckle, which somewhat lightened the mood.

Only for it to be brought down again as Chris offered the next item.

"You want revenge on the old fuck? Deal. We'll catch him, tie him up, and let you go to town on his ass. V.I.P treatment considering we've got a whole damn line of people with his number. What else could you possibly want so we can get your help?"

Her serious, tense gaze repeatedly hammered in that question in their minds. What do they want? What will they give to receive it? What sort of exchange will win them over?

"What we want is for you to help us _fix_ this, just like the idiot said. Research or whatever, and all your fancy magics and alchemy and whatnot that won't end up with someone we care about dying. You have answers, we have questions. You have demands, and we can provide them so long as you give those answers and cooperate." Chris kept her gaze steady on theirs, making sure not to lose eye contact for even a second. "Nobody's asking you to get chummy with us; that's for you to decide. We don't have to be friends, but we do need to be allies and work together to get us out of this shitstorm we ended up in. This goes way beyond personal desire, because if we fuck this up, that goes out the window. Nobody will get what they want, especially you."

That was clear as day to the trio. Failure to stop Fudou will end up with their dream completely out of reach.

And to die filled with anguish and frustration would be the worst death anyone could want. If they fail, even by the off-chance they get their desire, there won't be anything left for them to live by.

Vanessa shuffled uncomfortably, and crossed her arms to hide her uncertainty. Millaarc looked away, gritting her teeth.

It was Elsa who then spoke up, probing at a question that bothered her. "What guarantee do we have for anything you just said?"

"A guarantee?" Chris almost dumbfoundedly asked. The wolf girl stared as her expression twisted between a thoughtful frown and a confused stare. She scratched her nose as she answered. "Honestly? There ain't."

"Then what the hell is the point of all of this, huh?" Millaarc started again. "You try to buy us over with empty promises?!"

"What guarantee did you have that the old fart would do what he promised?" she asked in return, silencing the vampire once again. "At least now you don't have anything to lose, while we do, so... yeah, that's the guarantee. You can be happy with the fact that you're holding most of the cards."

The trio fell quiet again, bringing back the awkward silence to the room. As she waited for them to say anything, she looked back at the camera, mindlessly looking at its lens widen and contract.

They sat in this silence for a few minutes. Seeing that they weren't sure of themselves, Chris sighed and rose from the chair. She pushed it aside, causing the trio's gazes to turn to her.

"Look, I won't ask you for an answer now, but you need to decide on it as soon as possible, cos every second makes this harder for all of us. I promised you a lot of shit I probably shouldn't have but fuck me if I don't force the old man to provide them anyway. I'm sure he can pull some strings to make this easier on all of us," she said as the corner of her mouth slightly rose. "Nobody's asking you to be heroes or to care about others. Help us get through this, and we'll leave you the fuck alone and make sure nobody else messes with you."

She turned to leave, and the door slid open as she stepped into the doorway. Before stepping out, she looked back at them. "Give the old man a ring once you've made up your mind. Till then, do what you want. See ya."

And with that, she left, kicking up a storm as wild as when she came. The trio, so unused to such honest, blunt treatment from anyone were left somewhat speechless in her wake, giving her words an easier time to settle in their minds. For a moment, Vanessa wondered if the girl had actually planned this out ahead of time, but her knowledge of her nature pushed that guess out the window.

As the door clicked and beeped to signal its electronic locking, Elsa mumbled in surprise.

"She talked."

With Millaarc too busy grumbling to herself, Vanessa answered her younger comrade's comment.

"Yeah, she did."

-!-

Genjuro and Yatsuhiro watched Chris leave the brig and head in the opposite direction of the bridge, towards the cafeteria. As she disappeared from the hallway cameras, the perspective switched to inside the jail cell, showing the now perplexed Noble Red sitting in silence.

Genjuro had to admit he was pleasantly surprised. While her speech was rough, as always, Chris had quite well put the cards on the table, just as she had said. She shared her experiences, established parallels, and even made them some outrageous promises. Even without her claiming that she'd force him to acquiesce, he had already begun thinking of ways to help her uphold her end of the bargain.

What surprised him the most, however, was the fact that she hadn't truly spoken to their conscience. Usually, when one attempts to persuade a hesitant party, it's customary to speak to their principles, to make them feel like that course of action would be the most humane.

And yet, she didn't do so, as if she knew that it'd be useless.

It was too early to tell if Noble Red were convinced, but in the end, she was right; he wouldn't even be able to come up with half the things she said to them, and he reckoned no one else would've been able to either.

To see Chris of all people speak diplomatically definitely caught him off guard, as diplomatic as one could call what she did.

"Gen," Yatsuhiro said, forcing his younger brother to focus back on him. "I've seen what I needed to see. I'll be contacting you in the future to clarify what exactly I'll need from you."

To say that Genjuro was confused would be an understatement. "Aniki, can't you explain right now?"

Yatsuhiro shook his head. "No. I need to first see if I have a cause for concern yet. If I do, then I will broach you on this subject again. Until then, keep your wits about, and update me if anything changes."

"Alright," Genjuro answered with a nod. When his brother was like this, nothing would get him to budge. With a final nod of his own, Yatsuhiro cut the line, and the bridge fell silent as he vanished from the display.

An air of uncertainty and befuddlement were left in his wake, as even some of the staff on the lower floors looked at each other as they attempted to comprehend what Yatsuhiro's motive was.

Tomosato looked back at her commander. "Sir, what do you think he meant? And what does it have to do with Chris-chan?"

He grumbled to himself, crossing his arms in thought. His console blinked with long strings of numbers, streaming across the display unbidden. "I'm not quite sure, but if my guess is right, then..."

Anything else he wanted to say was cut off as the alarms blared loudly all over headquarters, instantly alerting all personnel. Wracked with shock, Genjuro shot to his feet, yelling to his subordinates as total chaos descended on the bridge.

"Status report!"

Amongst all the shouting, he managed to catch Fujitaka answering him. His tone of voice, filled with horror and slack-jawed awe, made the commander's blood run cold.

"S-sir! The American Base at Yokosuka... it's under attack!"

"What?!"

"And that's not all!" Tomosato screamed out in alarm. "We're detecting two familiar Aufwachen signals! Putting them on screen now!"

She pressed the buttons on her console swiftly. The large display at the front of the bridge lit up with two new windows, both showing the signals in question.

Both of which gave him pause.

"Vambrace of Shem-Ha, and..." He mumbled the second name in grief. "Ame-no-Habakiri?!"

He didn't waste another second. Smashing his hand down on the comm button, he made the calls.

"All Adaptors, sortie!"

He'd update them on where to go enroute.

And pray to god that they'll make it in time.

-!-

The Yokosuka United States Fleet Activities Base.

A remnant of the American occupation of Japan towards the end of the second world war, previously built from the ground up with pressure from Commodore Matthew Perry to open foreign trade. It is by far the most important strategic naval base in the western Pacific, and has been occupied by American Navy sailors for a hundred years. Since the end of the war, it has served as a joint port for the American and Japanese navy, and was one of the most commonly used ports during major conflicts such as the Korean and Vietnam wars. It is without a doubt one of the oldest relics of the war, still often used after all this time.

For the many sailors who lived within its confines, it served as a home away from home. For some, it was a symbol of cooperation. Yet for many others, especially the local Japanese, it was a blight upon their sacred land. The extreme nationalist voices among the populace commonly called for its removal and destruction, and for its inhabitants to return whence they came.

Over the long century, many talks were held and countless meetings were joined, reaching no conclusion as to what to do with it. In the end, the status quo had been kept, and the tensions had remained, for better or worse.

However, that status quo would soon be broken.

Unknown to anyone, and right under the noses of SONG, three figures stood over on the neighboring Agatsuma Island, gazing upon the sleeping base. They had, under the cover of night and illogical power made their way to this place.

Nobody knew they were there. They were akin to shadows, having moved completely undetected by anyone. None at SONG knew that they had even left the mansion, and believed that they had barricaded themselves within an impenetrable barrier.

The fools. They do not know the extent of what the divine power is capable of. Of course, of the three, only one of them gazed at all. The pair by his side could hardly be called figures at all; just puppets for his use.

Kazanari Fudou looked on, grinning savagely at his target. To his left, Kazanari Tsubasa stood as still as a statue, her eyes empty of light and will. To his left stood Shem-Ha in the body of Kohinata Miku, utterly obedient to his will. The Direct Feedback System hummed softly, signifying its continued domination.

Neither of the two were there by their own will. The man held their leash, their minds and free will caged in the palm of his hand. One shackled by the might of humanity's machines, and the other bound by a fearsome curse.

Truly, there was no real difference between them. It was said that sufficiently advanced technology was indistinguishable from magic, and any sufficiently researched magic can be turned into technology.

He did not regard the two at his side as people, as humans at all. Even though one was a god in a human body, for him, she was merely a tool, a weapon to be wielded against his enemies. Her divine power was limitless, and he was itching to see what potential it held. In a way, he was akin to a child playing with a new toy, going above and beyond to discover what mysteries it held.

Tsubasa too was a useful pawn for his plans. The most experienced of the Symphogear Adaptors, wielding one of Japan's most sacred relics as her blade. He had attempted to cultivate her as the ultimate weapon for his cause, but his foolish sons' meddlings delayed his plans unnecessarily.

But it all came together in the end. All of the battles she had fought were to prepare her for this moment. Her future as an artist was no longer relevant; to him, it was an absurd notion.

A sword cannot be a human. It has no feelings and no heart. It is meant to be used and nothing more.

And now, he was going to use that tempered sword for its true purpose.

"It is time," he said. "Destroy them. Make an example of those who'd dare defile our nation."

Tsubasa's eyes flashed briefly with kaleidoscopic colors. "Yes, Grandfather."

Shem-Ha gave no verbal answer. The neon hexagons symbolizing the Direct Feedback System's activation sparkled on her forehead and back as the command was registered.

She rose to the sky as Tsubasa jumped down the cliffside.

Moments later, two sun-like lights filled the world. One coming from the Symphogear Adaptor as she donned her armor, and the other coming from the caged deity that began to gather its power.

And as the two lights came down upon the unsuspecting base, Kazanari Fudou laughed triumphantly once more.


End file.
